Germany stunned by Japan in latest World Cup shock

DOHA, Qatar -- After Saudi Arabia's triumph implicit Argentina, Qatar 2022 saw not conscionable different upset, but different come-from-behind upset with the expected minnow upending the dense favorite.

Germany went up successful the archetypal fractional via a Ilkay Gündogan penalty, but substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano struck successful the past 15 minutes to crook the necktie connected its head.

Japan's 2-1 triumph underscores conscionable however shaky this Germany broadside person become, peculiarly erstwhile they look successful control.

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Rapid Reaction

1. Japan subs marque a immense difference

Four years ago, Japan were connected the verge of knocking retired Belgium and advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals. This time, they began with arguably the biggest daze effect they person ever garnered: implicit four-time satellite champions Germany. But their 2-1 triumph owes a batch to this side's quality to stay calm and marque the benignant of substitutions that alteration games.

Having gone a extremity down aft goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda conceded a needless penalty, successful a archetypal fractional which saw Germany make little, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu nailed each his substitutions. Kaoru Mitoma offered creativity and invention down the left; Takuma Asano was a whirlwind of vigor and precision; Takehiro Tomiyasu offered the benignant of stableness astatine the backmost that allowed Japan to beryllium much attacking and Takumi Minamino (in his own, sometime sloppy way), wreaked havoc and played a large portion successful the equalizer.

Japan went from the counter-attacking attack of the archetypal fractional to a acold much aggravated pressing crippled successful midfield and a hit-in-transition benignant that rattled Germany. I'm not definite they could person turned it astir were it not for the 5 substitutes.

2. Germany's lopsided onslaught fails

Germany finished the crippled with Mario Gotze, Youssoufa Moukoko and Niclas Fullkrug up front. In different words, a one-time phenom who had been written disconnected 3 years agone and is lone present making a timid return, a feline who lone turned 18 connected the time the World Cup started, and a feline winning, astatine 29, lone his 2nd Germany cap.

This was manager Hansi Flick's Plan B and that indispensable beryllium a superior concern. Flick had to crook to Plan B due to the fact that Plan A consisted of a clump of pieces that don't rather acceptable together.

Kai Havertz was perennially stuck betwixt pursuing instructions and pursuing instinct; Thomas Muller drifted dilatory to the close flank and got successful Serge Gnabry's way. Meanwhile 19-year-old prima Jamal Musiala showed glimpses of brilliance, but was relegated to an country retired wide connected the near which does small for his immense talent.

The absorption volition beryllium connected Germnay's uncharacteristic illness and antiaircraft errors from Nico Schlotterbeck and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (conceding astatine the adjacent post.) But fundamentally it was a relation of Germany's beforehand six being incapable to power the crippled successful the 2nd fractional (Plan A). And that Plan B is the equivalent of trying to hole Thanksgiving luncheon with worldly you mightiness prime up astatine the state station.

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3.

This is simply a tourney that continually harkens backmost to the past, truthful it's beauteous overmuch inevitable that the spectre of what happened successful Russia 2018 -- with Germany exiting successful the radical signifier for the archetypal clip successful its post-war past pursuing decision to South Korea -- volition present beryllium a talking point.

And, indeed, if you propulsion successful Euro 2020 -- erstwhile Germany went retired with a whimper successful the archetypal knockout circular against Gareth Southgate's England -- determination volition beryllium plentifulness of self-doubt creeping in.

This is not a acquainted presumption for Germany and the German public. They request to retrieve that, scary arsenic Spain whitethorn beryllium (or whitethorn not beryllium ... it's pugnacious to archer what you get with Luis Enrique) they power their ain destiny. The bully news? Costa Rica and Spain, the different sides successful the group, play an wholly antithetic marque of football. The atrocious news? If Germany play the mode they did aft the break, it won't marque overmuch difference.

Player ratings

Germany: Neuer 5, Sule 6, Rudiger 6, Schlotterbeck 4, Raum 6, Kimmich 7, Gundogan 6, Gnabry 6, Muller 5, Musiala 7, Havertz 5.

Subs: Goretzka 5, Moukoko 6, Hofmann 5, Gotze 5, Fullkrug 5.

Japan: Gonda 6, Sakai 7, Itakura 7, Yoshida 6, Nagatomo 5, Endo 7, Tanaka 7, Ito 8, Kamada 6, Maeda 5, Kubo 5.

Subs: Minamino 6, Asano 8, Tomiyasu 8, Mitoma 8, Doan 7.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Junya Ito

Much arsenic you're tempted to prime substitutes similar Mitoma oregon Asano, it was Ito who offered the astir some successful modulation and successful disrupting Germany's build-up. Quality and quantity unneurotic ... what much could you want.

WORST: Nico Schlotterbeck

It's not conscionable getting bushed similar helium did connected the 2nd extremity (maybe helium figured Neuer had it covered, well.. helium didn't), it's the mode erstwhile Japan raised the tempo successful the 2nd half, his positioning and clearances became progressively erratic.

Highlights and notable moments

The enactment implicit FIFA's menace of sanctions implicit the "OneLove" armband continued arsenic goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was checked thoroughly prematch, Germany players placed their hands implicit their mouths during a squad photograph and German curate Nancy Faeser snuck hers past information to beryllium adjacent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Neuer having his captain's armband checked by an adjunct referee earlier footwear off. pic.twitter.com/Jb41MQ9fRG

On the pitch, Germany's David Raum was fouled by Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, perchance adjacent twice, resulting successful a punishment for the opening goal.

Just a small spot of a foul successful the container 😅 pic.twitter.com/3FmznGFUdg

But Japan turned things astir precocious successful the 2nd half. And however did this spell in?

JAPAN TAKES THE LEAD
JAPAN TAKES THE LEAD
JAPAN TAKES THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/V5Jzmnc8cJ

After the match: What the players and managers said

To follow...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- The past clip Germany scored a punishment extremity successful regularisation clip was erstwhile Thomas Müller converted against Portugal successful the 2014 FIFA World Cup radical stage.

- Gundogan's extremity was the 12th punishment Germany person scored (in regulation/extra time) astatine the World Cup -- third-most by immoderate nation. And 5 of Gundogan's past 6 goals for Germany person been penalties.

- This is the 68th World Cup lucifer successful which Germany person scored the archetypal goal, the astir by immoderate team. (Brazil - 67 - play connected Thursday.)

- Japan had ne'er won a crippled astatine the World Cup erstwhile allowing the archetypal extremity (0-7-2, W-L-D.)

- Germany were unbeaten successful their erstwhile 21 World Cup matches erstwhile starring astatine half-time - 20-0-1 (W-L-D). Their past nonaccomplishment erstwhile starring astatine half-time astatine the World cupful was successful the 2nd radical signifier vs. Austria successful 1974 arsenic West Germany.

- Asano's extremity was Japan's latest crippled victor astatine the World Cup.

- It was Germany's 2nd consecutive lucifer astatine the World Cup losing to a squad from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Their past lucifer astatine the 2018 World Cup was a nonaccomplishment to South Korea. Prior to these 2 consecutive losses, Germany had ne'er mislaid to a squad from AFC astatine the World Cup.

- It was the archetypal squad 2 substitutes person scored for an Asian squad successful a World Cup match.

- Japan closed arsenic a +600 underdog astatine Caesars Sportsbook.

Up next

Germany: It was meant to beryllium the crippled that perchance decided who tops the group, but aft Germany's nonaccomplishment to Japan they conscionable Spain astatine the Al Bayt Stadium connected Nov. 27 astatine 10 p.m. section clip / 2 p.m. ET. A atrocious effect and Germany could beryllium retired early.

Japan: Costa Rica are adjacent up for Japan astatine the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium from 1 p.m. section clip / 5 a.m. ET, wherever they could marque a existent propulsion for apical spot.