Japan finish what Korea started with 2-1 win over Germany

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Published: 24 Nov. 2022, 09:35

Japan finish what Korea started with 2-1 win over Germany

Japan's Ritsu Doan celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a World Cup Group E match against Germany at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday. [AP/YONHAP]

It’s not often that there’s reason to cheer for the Japanese national football team in Korea, but watching the Samurai Blue come from behind to defeat Germany on Wednesday night may just have given the Taeguk Warriors the boost they need going into their own tough matchup on Thursday.

Japan beat Germany 2-1, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes of the game to hand the European side their second consecutive World Cup loss to an East Asian side. Germany lost their last game of the 2018 Russia World Cup to Korea, 2-0.

Germany took the lead at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Wednesday with an Ilkay Gündogan penalty in the 33rd minute. The half ended with the Germans up 1-0, a score that could have been much higher as the European side dominated the first frame.

Japan made five changes going into the second half and the results were immediately clear. Both goals, from Ritsu Doan in the 75th minute and Takumu Asano in the 83rd, were scored by substitutes, with the new legs clearly making the Samurai Blue far more confident on both offense and defense.

“I believe it’s a historic moment, a historic victory, to say the least,” Japanese manager Hajime Moriyasu said after the game. “If I’m thinking of the development of Japanese football, we have been building up. It’s a big surprise and we are now reaching the global standard.”

The win pushed Japan into second place in Group E, behind Spain on goal difference. It also reinforced what is emerging as an increasingly important message at this World Cup — it’s time to stop underestimating Asian football.

It’s still early days at the Qatar World Cup, but already the two biggest upsets of the tournament so far have come at the hands of Asian teams: Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina and Japan 2-1 Germany. For Asian football fans, both of these results show that it is time to stop treating Asian teams as a footnote on the World Cup stage.

There are five Asian teams competing in Qatar: Iran, Japan, Korea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Of those, Iran is the highest ranked, at No. 20 in the world, and Saudi Arabia is the lowest, at No. 51.

Iran, Japan, Korea and Saudi Arabia all drew especially tough draws for their first games of the group stage, Iran facing England and losing 6-2, Japan and Saudi Arabia both winning their opening games and Korea yet to play their match against Uruguay on Thursday.

“We saw Saudi Arabia with a surprise win, so we are showing our capability of Asian football,” Moriyasu said on Wednesday.

Despite being old football rivals, the Japanese squad also made it clear that they’re passing the torch to Korea as they take on Uruguay on Thursday.

"I have some friends on the Korean team, midfielder Takumi Minamino said. “[Hwang] Hee-chan is the best friend. They can also do something special. Yeah, we want to see that."

Liverpool’s Minamino and Hwang once played together at Red Bull Salzburg. Takefusa Kubo, another midfielder who used to play with Lee Kang-in in Mallorca, also wished his former teammate good luck.

Japan were not the only team to take a decisive victory on Wednesday. Over at Al Thumama Stadium in Al Thumama, Qatar, Spain strung together seven goals to thrash Costa Rica 7-0 with a phenomenally dominant performance that started in the 11th minute and didn’t end until the 91st.

Spain's Gavi, left, celebrates scoring their fifth goal in a game against Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar on Wednesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Six different players scored for Spain: Dani Olmo in the 11th minute, Marco Asensio in the 21st, Ferran Torres in the 31st and the 54th, Pablo Martin Gavi in the 74th, Barragan Carlos Soler in the 90th and Alvaro Morato just one minute later in the first minute of injury time.

Olmo’s goal alone was already a reason for Spain to celebrate, marking the 100th in the European side’s history. Gavi’s was also a monumental moment, as the 18-year-old became the youngest World Cup goal scorer in Spanish football history.

By the numbers, Spain’s dominance was even more evident. The European side had 16 shots and received not a single one in return. They made over 1,000 passes and controlled 82 percent of the ball. It was a proper World Cup thrashing, up there with Portugal 7-0 North Korea in 2010 and Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia in 2002.

But while Group E provided all the excitement, Group F was rather straightforward. Morocco and Croatia drew 0-0 in the first game of the afternoon, with Belgium beating Canada 1-0 later that evening.

The Belgium vs. Canada score perhaps belies how good the game was, with world No. 41 Canada running world No. 2 ragged and only allowing the one Michy Batshuayi goal in the 44th minute. The result was a valiant effort for the Maple Leafs in their first World Cup outing since 1986.

Belgium's Michy Batshuayi celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a World Cup Group F match against Canada, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday. [AP/YONHAP]

Wednesday’s games also saw the first real victory for the effort to use the Qatar World Cup as a platform to highlight the host nation’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers and members of the LGBTQ community.

Despite FIFA’s concerted effort to silence anything it considers to be too political — including banning the OneLove captain’s armband — Germany seized the opportunity to stage their own protest before the Japan game.

Prior to kick off, the entire German starting XI posed with their hands over their mouths in a clear statement against FIFA’s efforts to silence protesters. Six players, including captain Manuel Neuer, wore Adidas boots with rainbow stitching throughout the game, and the entire squad wore rainbows on their training shirts as they warmed up before the game.

Players from Germany pose for a team photo as they cover their mouth before a World Cup Group E match against Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday. [AP/YONHAP]

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also wore the OneLove armband while watching the game in the stands.

The message was reinforced by a strongly-worded statement from the German football association.

“It wasn’t about making a political statement — human rights are non-negotiable,” the DFB said in a statement. “That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.”

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]