Japan creates miraculous possession stat in FIFA World Cup history after beating Spain
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Japan vs Spain
Japan achieved a remarkable come-from-behind victory on Thursday by defeating Spain 2-1 in the final Group E fixture at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. According to Opta, Japan had the lowest possession rate in recorded World Cup history, at 17.7%, and still managed to come out victorious.
Alvaro Morata gave Spain an early lead with a goal in the 11th minute, but two second-half goals from substitutes Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka sealed the win for Japan and allowed them to qualify for the round of 16 as the group topper. This victory follows Japan’s earlier 2-1 win over four-time champion Germany in their tournament opener, despite being a goal down.
Prior to their defeat to Japan, Spain had not been beaten in their previous 16 World Cup matches when taking the lead at half-time, winning 14 and drawing 2. This was the first time since 2002 that Spain had lost to an Asian team, and they had remained undefeated in their last group stage match for each of their past nine appearances.
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Japan tops its group after pulling off two of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history
Japan pulled off a remarkable feat when they triumphed in their group, emerging victorious against Spain in a stunning 2-1 victory. It was a huge shock, with Alvaro Morata putting Japan ahead at the break with a goal, only for them to extend their lead with two strikes in the first three minutes of the second period. The result was a remarkable upset in the tournament.
A week after their incredible comeback against Germany, the Samurai Blue left fans around the world in awe once again. After ceding a penalty to Ilkay Gundogan in the first half, Japan managed to score twice in the next eight minutes, coming out on top despite having the lowest possession rate in history (26.2%) at the time. Their dramatic victory against Spain has since overshadowed this match.
Japan have certainly made an impressive achievement, considering they are only ranked 24th in the international football standings. Despite this, they have managed to secure a Group E win ahead of other higher-ranked teams like Germany, who are 11th, and Spain, seventh. Nevertheless, their manager, Hajime Moriyasu, will have little opportunity to relax as they face a major challenge when they go up against 2018 victors Croatia in Monday’s round of 16.
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Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)