Spain staggered through to the World Cup last 16 on Thursday despite a 2-1 defeat by Japan, who remarkably won Group E on a rollercoaster night that saw four-time champions Germany eliminated.
Japan secured another incredible triumph after beating Germany in their opening game, with their progression from the “group of death” one of the greatest achievements in the country’s footballing history.
For a few heart-stopping minutes Spain were poised to head out when Costa Rica were leading in the other game, but the 2010 champions squeezed through after Germany did them a favor by coming back to beat Los Ticos.
Spain and Germany ended on four points each, but La Roja progressed on goal difference.
Alvaro Morata sent Spain ahead early on with a towering header, but Japan dramatically struck back at the start of the second half. Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka’s goals saw them mount a sensational comeback, just as they did against Germany. Tanaka’s goal was highly controversial after the officials relied on VAR to decide Kaoru Mitoma had kept the ball in play by a hair’s breadth to set him up.
Spain struggled to create chances against a staunch Japanese defense in the final stages, with the Asian side aware that conceding another goal would see them eliminated.
Japanese players collapsed at full-time in celebration, exhausted and elated, while the substitutes raced on to celebrate. Spain faces Morocco in the last 16, while Japan plays Croatia.
Ecstatic Moroccans celebrated on Thursday after their team qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
“We’ve waited 36 years,” one fan cried after the Atlas Lions beat Canada 2-1 to storm into the round of 16 as winners of their group. In 1986, the football-obsessed North African nation became the first African or Arab country ever to reach the knockout stages, before many of the current players were born. On Thursday, the iconic Avenue Mohammed V through central Rabat thronged with supporters wrapped in the country’s red flag with its green star, setting off firecrackers as drivers honked their horns.
Heavy rain, a welcome sight in the drought-stricken country, cleared up before the final whistle as men, women, and children poured into the streets to celebrate. Cafes had been packed for the match and even banks had closed early to allow people to watch. “I was stressed about the match but they blew us away,” said Houda, 34, who was watching at a cafe with her daughter. Morocco had gone from a draw with Croatia to a spectacular win on Sunday against Belgium before beating Canada, a huge boost for coach Walid Regragui, who has been in the job for just three months. According to opinion polls, a fifth of Moroccans believe their team will reach the semi-final, and national carrier Royal Air Maroc has put on special flights to ferry fans back and forth from Qatar. Maths teacher Mehdi Dida said his joy had “no limits.” “It’s a historic moment to see the Moroccan flag so high and see our players give their all for their country,” he said. One social media user wrote that people his father’s age continually talked about the team of 1986. “In 20 years’ time, I’ll be able to tell my children about the team of 2022,” he wrote.
