Tunisia is threatened with a real World Cup debacle. After the Africans replaced the coach after a slap against Sweden, the game against Japan also turned into a fiasco with a score of 0:4 (0:2). This means that Tunisia is bottom of the group after just two match days.
The disaster for Herve Renard, who took over from Sabri Lamouchi after the 5-1 defeat against Sweden, began in the fourth minute. Keito Nakamura broke through on the left side and played flat into the middle, where Daichi Kamada finished with his heel, which was worth seeing. And the ex-Frankfurt player almost managed a lightning double, but after a cross from Ayase Ueda, Dylan Bronn took him to make it 2-0 at the last moment (9th).
Renard’s hopes are dashed relatively quickly
Even then, Renard must have been aware of the hopeless situation he had found himself in; Tunisia seemed completely overwhelmed by the Japanese and all the circumstances. The 57-year-old even held out the prospect of moving forward. “There are two games left. As long as there is life, there is hope. It is a challenge that is not easy, but motivating”said Renard.
But even the experienced Frenchman, for whom Tunisia is already his sixth job as national coach, cannot work miracles. So it was just a matter of keeping the damage as low as possible that evening. At least Aymen Dahmen was working on that, saving his team from conceding a second goal with an outstanding double save. First the goalkeeper barely scratched a deflected shot from Ueda off the line, then he was there for Takehiro Tomiyasu’s follow-up shot (10th).
No Goal: Ueda’s shot was initially just a few millimeters away from making it 2-0
Ueda and Ito thank Tunisia Defensive behavior
Only then did the game neutralize a little – but at some point Japan took advantage of the fact that their opponents didn’t make things too difficult for them. Ueda actually missed the moment of the pass several times after a counterattack, but he was not pressured and finally sank the ball on his own initiative from 16 meters into the far corner (31st). There was no longer any doubt that Tunisia would not make it out of the group phase in their seventh World Cup appearance.
After all, the game ended up being idle for a long time – which was already a success for the Renard team given how the tournament had gone so far. But given the condition of the Tunisians, that didn’t last forever, Japan combined with two passes through the entire defense in the 69th minute and Junya Ito remained ice cold free in front of the goal. The Asians also worked on their goal difference, which could become important in the tight Group F.
Ueda scores again, Tunisia on course for Zaire
And that’s why Japan continued, Ueda scored a brace with a header (83′). What was typical of the Tunisians’ performance was that two field players had the chance to clear the ball on the line, but they were so uncoordinated that they didn’t do it. In this form, perhaps the weakest team of this World Cup so far, even historically one of the worst in a group stage. So far, Zaire from 1974 is at the bottom with 0:14 goals.
After the 2-2 draw at the start against the Netherlands (won 5-1 against Sweden), Japan is in the middle of the fight for group victory; on Friday (1 a.m. CEST) they face Sweden. Tunisia, on the other hand, has already been eliminated from the tournament and has to fear the next blow against the Netherlands on the last match day. Currently, only the fewer goals scored separate Japan from the three-time vice world champions, behind the two teams that have four points, Sweden lurks with three points.