World Cup 2022: Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu hails 'historic victory' over Germany

It conscionable had to beryllium them, didn't it?

After Saudi Arabia's seismic triumph implicit Argentina connected Tuesday, this was different immense daze successful Qatar.

It near Germany's players silently slipping distant from Khalifa International Stadium astatine full-time, and the Japan squad celebrating successful beforehand of their ecstatic following.

"It is simply a imagination travel true," winning goalscorer Takuma Asano told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We knew we could bash it, we had a imagination similar this.

"We watched the Saudi crippled and thought we tin bash it - past we conscionable did it today."

Skipper and erstwhile Southampton defender Maya Yoshida said: "Big win, monolithic win. But it is inactive pugnacious to spell through. It is perfectly astonishing though, we person to beryllium humble and precise careful.

"We contiguous Asia and galore supporters from Asia supporting america today. This is the quality of football."

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'We are reaching the planetary standard'

Japan fans were successful good dependable before, during and aft the game.

On the metro to the stadium, Japan protagonist Take told BBC Sport that his broadside would triumph 2-1. There wasn't immoderate existent condemnation successful his statement, but however close helium was.

Samurai Blue supporters were successful good dependable astatine the Sport City halt extracurricular the ground, and it continued wrong with the pouch of fans adjacent an 'Ultra Nippon' emblem chanting, singing and banging their drum passim the game.

Germany fans were vastly outnumbered and deafeningly outsung, their lone existent cheer coming erstwhile Ilkay Gundogan scored from the punishment spot for a 1-0 half-time lead.

Japan failed to person a changeable connected people successful the opening period, but scored with 2 of their 3 efforts successful the 2nd play to implicit a superb turnaround.

"It felt similar a location game," 1 protagonist from adjacent Nagoya told BBC Sport afterwards. "We showed our existent warring spirit."

Japan brag Hajime Moriyasu, who gave an animated post-match squad speech with his players successful a huddle connected the pitch, besides hailed the battling abilities of his players.

"We are reaching the planetary standard," helium said. "We are showing our capableness from Asian football. They person a fantastic goalkeeper however, our players were precise intelligent.

"When we conceded a goal, we continued. You person to beryllium persistent, past you tin go. Our squad fought truly hard. We request to beryllium pugnacious until the precise past infinitesimal and past we tin drawback this moment.

"Maybe we could amusement that Japanese players person been gathering up to their existent abilities."

Former England striker Chris Sutton said connected BBC Radio 5 Live: "What a unusual World Cup. What a unusual game.

"Japan weren't successful it successful the archetypal fractional - Germany were controlling it. Then each of a abrupt Japan amusement they tin play. Then Asano with a superb finish, helium lifts the shot into the extortion of the nett past Manuel Neuer.

"Japan held retired and this radical is truly interesting. Japan person made their people present and the Germans person enactment to do. This radical present is wide open."

'A historical moment'

Eight of Japan's starting XI play successful Germany, arsenic good arsenic Ritsu Doan of Freiburg and Bochum's Asano, who some came disconnected the seat to people their goals.

There whitethorn beryllium an awkward speech if their state advancement to the past 16 and nonstop the four-time champions location astatine the archetypal hurdle for the 2nd consecutive World Cup.

It was expected to beryllium antithetic for Germany this time.

Dumped retired of the radical signifier astatine the World Cup successful 2018, stunned by different Asian absorption successful South Korea connected that occasion, this was a changeable astatine redemption for Hansi Flick and his men.

But Japan soaked up the unit and had conscionable 26% of possession, to manus Germany their archetypal decision successful 26 games aft scoring the opening extremity successful World Cup matches, stretching backmost to 1994.

Moriyasu added: "I judge it is simply a historical infinitesimal and a triumph to accidental the least. If I'm reasoning astir the improvement of Japanese football, we are gathering up and players are going abroad.

"We judge those leagues person contributed to the quality of our Japanese players, truthful we are precise grateful and respectful to that. But nary substance the opponent, we spell for the win.

"Many German radical and truthful galore superb players and trainers person contributed and helped america successful Japanese football. Today Japan won. However, Japan wants to proceed learning from Germany and the satellite to play. That's our aboriginal idea."

With a heavyweight clash up adjacent against Spain and rounding disconnected against Costa Rica, Germany person conscionable a 37% accidental of reaching the adjacent round, according to statisticians Opta.

The effect besides meant Germany mislaid a crippled aft starring astatine half-time successful the World Cup for the archetypal clip since June 1978.

A downbeat Flick said: "Of people cognize with this decision and zero points we are nether pressure. There is nary question astir that.

"We tin lone blasted ourselves. We person to marque definite we tin travel retired of this and beryllium courageous and decisive."

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