From BZ/dpa
Japan achieves one of the greatest victories in its history. The 2-1 win against Germany is mainly due to the jokers around Bundesliga professional Doan. Against Costa Rica there is almost a match point.
Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan was full of joy after the spectacular Japanese coup. “When I came on, I said to myself that nobody could score this goal but me,” said Doan after his team’s 2-1 win at the World Cup opener against Germany.
Takuma Asano made it 2-1 for Japan a little later. Schlotterbeck gave a friendly escort instead of intervening energetically. Neuer was powerless again Photo: REUTERS/Molly Darlington
And that’s how it happened: Doan scored the equalizer, Takuma Asano the winning goal and the false start of the flickteams as well as the picture book prelude for enthusiastic Japanese.
When coach Hajime Moriyasu appeared at the press conference, the journalists present applauded. The coach, who had openly announced that he had reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time, raved about his team around Bundesliga professionals Doan, Daichi Kamada and captain Maya Yoshida.
“It was a historic victory”
“I think it was a historic moment, a historic victory,” said the head coach. And, like Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win over Argentina and Lionel Messi the day before, it was an amazing afternoon in world football.
Against Costa Rica on Sunday (11 a.m.) Japan now has a match point for the round of 16. Japan’s advancement and Germany’s end can be sealed after just two matchdays.
“We wanted to advance, it was our first step, so we’re very happy,” said Shuichi Gonda. The goalkeeper first blundered with a foul on David Raum, which was a penalty goal by Ilkay Gundogan but then grew in strength and eventually became the player of the game.
“We want to get to the quarter-finals,” Gonda reiterated. Germany will face favorites Spain on Sunday (20:00 CEST), who come with a lot of confidence after beating Costa Rica 7-0.