How Japan Upset Germany, the World Cup’s Latest Fallen Favorite - The New York Times

Soccer|Japan Topples Germany, the World Cup’s Latest Fallen Favorite

• Nov. 23, 2022Updated 3:55 p.m. ET

DOHA, Qatar — These are the days successful which the mighty fall. On Day 3 of the World Cup, Argentina was near reeling aft suffering a chastening decision to Saudi Arabia. On Day 4, it was Germany’s turn. Another of the pretournament favorites was near shocked and embarrassed by a expected makeweight.

This time, Japan took halfway stage. Just similar Saudi Arabia, it had struggled for aerial successful the archetypal half, falling down to a punishment from Ilkay Gündogan and past holding connected with grim determination to restrict the harm earlier halftime. And, conscionable similar Saudi Arabia, it capitalized connected its bully fortune, drafting level done Ritsu Doan and past claiming a triumph with a extremity from Takuma Asano.

Japan’s triumph is not, successful truth, a daze of the aforesaid bid arsenic Saudi Arabia’s decision of Argentina a time earlier: Japan is, aft all, a regular beingness astatine the World Cup, a diagnostic of each of the past 7 editions and, connected occasion, a squad that survives agelong capable to marque it beyond the radical stage. Its astir celebrated victories, though, person travel against the likes of Denmark and Colombia; it does not, oregon astatine slightest had not, mostly made a seismic interaction connected the tournament.

Drawn successful the aforesaid radical arsenic different of the favorites, Spain, Germany — which began the crippled with a soundless protestation against FIFA’s armband ban — had precious small borderline for error. Though this is not rather a knockout blow, should the Germans neglect to bushed Spain erstwhile they conscionable connected Sunday, 1 of Europe’s large accepted powers would look the ignominy of a 2nd successive elimination successful the radical stage.

It is tempting to wonder, too, if thing of a signifier is starting to emerge. The opening days of World Cups thin to beryllium conscionable a interaction chaotic, with adjacent the astir talented teams inactive settling into their signifier and their rhythm, and those squads marked retired arsenic underdogs not yet confronted with cold, harsh reality.

Given the circumstances, that was ever apt to beryllium much pronounced successful Qatar: Rather than the accepted three-week interruption successful which to trade players from disparate clubs into thing resembling a coherent unit, coaches had lone a fewer days. The rosters of the favorites are packed with players who person spent the erstwhile 3 months playing a crippled astir each 3 days.

It has not applied to everyone — France and England some sailed done their opening games — but nor are Germany and Argentina the lone powerhouses to stumble. Earlier connected Wednesday, Croatia, a finalist successful 2018, had labored done a scoreless necktie against Morocco. A time earlier, Denmark, having qualified imperiously, was held to a scoreless gully by Tunisia. Reputations, successful these days of daze and awe, look to number for precise little.