Costa Rica beat Japan to give Germany W'Cup lifeline
Costa Rica upset Japan 1-0 with a late goal at the World Cup on Sunday to blow up Group E and provide a potential lifeline for Germany.
Japan, who stunned four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their opener in Qatar, could have taken a giant step towards the knockout stages with a win.
Instead, they worked for much of the game against a Costa Rica side that were hammered 7-0 by Spain, then defender Keysher Fuller scored in the 81st minute with a deflected shot.
It was Costa Rica's first shot on target at this World Cup and it could be very beneficial for the Germans.
The result left Spain, Japan and Costa Rica all on three points. Spain will face Germany later on Sunday in another crucial game.
Japan made five changes to the squad which shocked Germany in their opening game as coach Hajime Moriyasu made full use of his 26-man squad.< /p>
In temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Japan immediately went on the attack and won a corner within 30 seconds to signal their intention.
Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez had resisted making sweeping changes to the Spain-beaten squad, dropping teenage winger Jewison Bennette and defender Carlos Martinez on the bench.
Gerson Torres and 34-year-old centre-back Kendall Waston took their place in an aging XI that included four players from the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals.
But Japan's early promise melted in the Doha sun and the first shot on goal - a tame effort that sailed high and wide - came only 10 minutes from half-time. time of 30 years of Costa Rica- old Joel Campbell.
A dismal first half ended with 'Los Ticos' having had more of the ball but neither team managed a shot on target.
Moriyasu had seen enough and made a double change at the break, one of them with the introduction of Bundesliga-based striker Takuma Asano, who scored the winning goal against the Germans.
The Blue Samurai were immediately sharper and midfielder Hidemasa Morita made the first proper save of the game seconds after the restart with a powerful strike.
Moriyasu threw on Brighton striker Kaoru Mitoma for a defender just after the hour mark as Japan chased the win that would put them on the cusp of the last 16.
It was all of Japan as the match went down in the final 20 minutes in front of 41,000 spectators.
Substitute Junya Ito appeared to have broken free and was closing in on the goal, only for Costa Rican defender Francisco Calvo to cynically pull him to the edge of the box, earning a yellow card that would have easily could have been red.
Costa Rica had done nothing for most of the game as an attacking force, but nine minutes from regulation time they stole it when Fuller's shot deflected and s is chained.
AFP
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Costa Rica upset Japan 1-0 with a late goal at the World Cup on Sunday to blow up Group E and provide a potential lifeline for Germany.
Japan, who stunned four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their opener in Qatar, could have taken a giant step towards the knockout stages with a win.
Instead, they worked for much of the game against a Costa Rica side that were hammered 7-0 by Spain, then defender Keysher Fuller scored in the 81st minute with a deflected shot.
It was Costa Rica's first shot on target at this World Cup and it could be very beneficial for the Germans.
The result left Spain, Japan and Costa Rica all on three points. Spain will face Germany later on Sunday in another crucial game.
Japan made five changes to the squad which shocked Germany in their opening game as coach Hajime Moriyasu made full use of his 26-man squad.< /p>
In temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Japan immediately went on the attack and won a corner within 30 seconds to signal their intention.
Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez had resisted making sweeping changes to the Spain-beaten squad, dropping teenage winger Jewison Bennette and defender Carlos Martinez on the bench.
Gerson Torres and 34-year-old centre-back Kendall Waston took their place in an aging XI that included four players from the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals.
But Japan's early promise melted in the Doha sun and the first shot on goal - a tame effort that sailed high and wide - came only 10 minutes from half-time. time of 30 years of Costa Rica- old Joel Campbell.
A dismal first half ended with 'Los Ticos' having had more of the ball but neither team managed a shot on target.
Moriyasu had seen enough and made a double change at the break, one of them with the introduction of Bundesliga-based striker Takuma Asano, who scored the winning goal against the Germans.
The Blue Samurai were immediately sharper and midfielder Hidemasa Morita made the first proper save of the game seconds after the restart with a powerful strike.
Moriyasu threw on Brighton striker Kaoru Mitoma for a defender just after the hour mark as Japan chased the win that would put them on the cusp of the last 16.
It was all of Japan as the match went down in the final 20 minutes in front of 41,000 spectators.
Substitute Junya Ito appeared to have broken free and was closing in on the goal, only for Costa Rican defender Francisco Calvo to cynically pull him to the edge of the box, earning a yellow card that would have easily could have been red.
Costa Rica had done nothing for most of the game as an attacking force, but nine minutes from regulation time they stole it when Fuller's shot deflected and s is chained.
AFP
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