0:1 becomes 2:1 – and that for the second time against a heavyweight in world football. Japan is one of the surprises of the previous World Cup in Qatar.
The fact that the Japanese hit Spain twice within a few minutes after being clearly inferior in the first half – as they did at the start of the World Cup against Germany – is said to have been no coincidence.
“Is that a surprise for you? Not for me,” said captain Maya Yoshida, who plays for FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga. He explained that it has to do with “modern football” which Japan dominates. The goal of his team was to press selectively in a phase of the game in which the opponent did not – or no longer – expect a power play.
Against Germany and Spain, the Japanese pushed several times behind the advanced defense lines, which had previously only been busy building up the game. Yoshida explained that his team specifically chose phases in the second half because the game was generally more open than at the beginning. In addition, the opponent then has less time to react.
“When a team like Japan has nothing left to lose, they fly like jet fighters,” said Spain coach Luis Enrique, describing the phase after the break when his team gave up the game.
A simple look at the statistics shows how little effort the Japanese required for this: According to the US broadcaster ESPN, Japan had only 17.7 percent possession of the ball in the entire game – that is the lowest percentage of possession in the history of the World Cup.
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Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
