Japan Shock Spain To Win Group E And Dump Germany Out

Japan secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Spain to win Group E and eliminate Germany from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Asian giants started the competition in an emphatic fashion with a 2-1 comeback win over the Germans in their opening group game.

But the defeat to Costa Rica, many thought, would have been the end of their chances, as they came up against the 2010 World Cup winners who beat the same opposition 7-0.

The topsy-turvy group, however, sprung so many plot twists as the games played out simultaneously, with La Roja also out of the top two at one point when Costa Rica went 2-1 ahead against the 2014 World Champions.

The Blue Samurai Slay Spain

After a dominant opening half where Alvaro Morata deservedly put the Spanish ahead, Japan game out guns blazing in the second half, as they did against Die Mannschaft.

Ritsu Doan, first leveled matters, before Ao Tanaka scored six minutes into the second stanza.

The second was contentious as Victor Gomes sent the call to Video Assitant Refereeing, and it was adjudged to be a legitimate goal by the goal line technology. The Japanese were ecstatic, as expected, and managed to see out the game as Spain had no further shot on target.

Germany Slump To Second Consecutive Group Stage Exit

The Germans picked up from their defeat with a morale-boosting draw against Spain, but their 3-2 win over the North Americans wasn’t enough.

Having finished on four points, level with Spain, it was the seventh heaven from Luis Enrique’s side [and goal difference] that separated the group stage essay from the group stage exit agony.

Serge Gnabry opened the scoring as they went into the break at 1-0, but Yeltsin Tejeda and Juan Pablo Vargas turned the game on its head, as at that point Costa Rica were heading through.

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But Kai Harverts bagged a brace to make it 3-2 and Niclas Füllkrug added a fourth win and effectively sent Spain through as group runners-up, while they took an early flight home from Qatar.

It will no doubt raise major questions from the squad, head coach Hansi Flick and DFB, who have been underwhelming on the world stage over the last eight years – having been knocked out by South Korea at the 2018 edition in Russia.

Japan have now set up a last-16 tie against 2018 runners-up Croatia, while Spain will face Morocco.