Japan Beat Germany 2-1
Qatar World Cup: Japan stun Germany 2-1
The tale of upsets at the Qatar World Cup 2022 continues as the Samurai Army of Japan beat Germany 2-1 in the first game in Group E.
Germany dominated the proceedings in the first half, with quite a few chances hurled at the Japanese goal. A foul by goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda on David Raum handed Germany their penalty, which was converted by Ilkay Gundogan on the half-hour mark.
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The second half had a completely different show for us as Japan fought back fiercely and earned themselves an equalizer through substitute Ritsu Doan in the 75th minute.
The upset was well and truly written in the 83rd minute when Germany-based Takuma Asano scored the winning goal after an error from Nico Schlotterbeck to put Japan ahead 2-1.
Dogged defensive performance and some brilliant goalkeeping by Shuichi Gonda made sure Japan got all three points in the Group E opener.
Key Performances
Ilkay Gundogan: The German goalkeeper, Gundogan, had quite a few chances, which were kept out by the Japanese defense. Misses which came back to haunt him.
Jamal Musiala: The youngster was excellent and showed glimpses of magic through his brilliant footwork, but the end product was ultimately lacking.
Takuma Asano: The former Arsenal forward changed the game when he came on as a substitute and ended up scoring the winning goal for the Samurai Blue.
Hiroki Sakai: The experienced fullback played brilliantly and was a menace on the right side, creating overloads and chances for his team in the second half.
Shuichi Gonda: Japan's No. 1 made amends through his shot-stopping and ensured that the game would go down in Japanese history.
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Aftermath
Japan are on top of Group E, while Germany sit on the bottom, as Spain and Costa Rica are yet to play. Germany's chances of finishing first in Group E at the Qatar World Cup are now in jeopardy following their 2-1 loss to Japan. Germany will play their next game against Spain on November 28, while Japan will take on Costa Rica on November 27.
1 year ago