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In Group E, Japan faced powerhouse Spain in the third match of the first league. In the 11th minute of the first half, Álvaro Morata headed a cross ball to score one goal. After that, the first half ended with a 0-1 lead without creating any decisive chances. However, in the second half, Japan pressed aggressively to close in on the opponent's goal, and in the 3rd minute, Doan Ritsu swung his left foot from outside the penalty area and scored a spectacular mid-range shot to tie the score. In the 6th minute, Mitoma Kaoru's turn from the edge of the goal line was met by Tanaka Aoi's effort to make it 2-1. After that, Japan did not allow Spain to counterattack with tenacious defense and won the match.
After the match, Coach Moriyasu said, "Even for Asia, winning against Germany and Spain, the top countries in the world, will give us a lot of confidence. There are still things we have to learn, but Asian and Japanese football can beat the world. I want to share the joy with confidence."
After defeating Spain, Japan finished first in Group E with six points. In the first round of the final tournament on the 5th (local time), they will face Croatia, who is 2nd in Group F.
Despite the fact that the match against Spain was early in the morning, many people cheered for them, and when the team advanced to the final tournament, the whole of Japan was filled with joy. In front of JR Tokyo Station, the extra edition was handed out before 8:30 am, and office workers on their way to work received it one after another.
The news of Japan's advance to the final tournament was also reported in South Korea. The Dong-A Ilbo reported, "The Japanese national team, which defeated the German national team, also defeated the Spanish national team, causing a big change to pass the group of death in first place."
The sports site 'Sportal Korea' looked back on the match with the caption, "I have a stomach ache, but I have to admit that Japan is the strongest in Asia."
In addition, the Hankyoreh newspaper focused on Director Moriyasu's direction. In this day's match, Doan and Mitoma, who were introduced in the second half, were dynamic. In the match against Germany, it was Hot Topic that Manager Moriyasu's control led to the victory, but the manager's command was right in today's match as well. The newspaper said, "It was the exquisite tactics of coach Hajime Moriyasu, who changed the atmosphere at once by using substitution cards like the German game, and even achieved a comeback."
In addition, Japan's second goal was scored by the video assistant referee (VAR) in the match today. At first glance, Mitoma's turn that led to the winning goal appeared to have crossed the line, which was confirmed by VAR. As a result, it was judged that the ball was slightly on the edge of the line with a width of about 10 centimeters, and the score was recognized. According to the International Council of Football's Laws of the Game, the ball is considered off the pitch when it completely crosses the line on the ground or in the air. In other words, play can continue as long as part of the ball remains on the line, even if it is not in contact with the ground.
JoongAng Ilbo, a Korean newspaper, picked up the scene of confirmation by VAR in the game on this day, and reported it with the headline, "VAR also helped Japan survived." According to the newspaper, "After a long VAR decision, it was decided that the ball did not completely cross the goal line and was slightly on the line, so Japan's goal was awarded."
On the Korean Internet, there were many voices of surprise, saying, "This is a new history of Asian football," and "It's already beyond the realm of Asian football."
In addition, Korean talent Park Myung-soo appeared on the radio program of public broadcaster KBS on the 2nd and mentioned Japan's match against Spain. "Japan did well. I admit they did well," he said. On top of that, he talked about Korea's match against Portugal on the 3rd, saying, "Isn't there a reason why we can't enter the round of 16? The match will be held at midnight (Korean time), and at that time, it will be a wonderful match with the victory. If we hear the news (advance to the final tournament), I think we will be able to have a good time on Saturday and Sunday.
South Korea came from behind to beat Portugal 2-1. With 1 win, 1 loss and 1 draw, they had 4 points, surpassing Uruguay, who was tied with goal difference, to finish 2nd in total points and advance to the finals tournament for the first time in 3 tournaments.
2022/12/05 12:59 KST
