These two victories for the Japanese men's soccer team were undoubtedly the most glorious chapters in their history, and were not surpassed until Monday's showdown with Croatia.
Spain started the game with a strong performance, with Morata leading the attack. In the first half, they always took the initiative on the field. Japan seemed to have lost their way, and it wasn't until the 20th minute that they first threatened their opponents. At half-time, from the press box, it looked like the game was over.
However, Japan did not admit defeat. Boichi Mori decided to take a risk and went with a 5-4-1 formation and made two changes. Kaoru Mitsunari replaced defensive-minded Yuto Nagatomo at left wingback, and Yasutoshi Tang replaced the health care provider. The strategy was clear: apply pressure.
"Defending Morata alone is extremely risky," said Maya Yoshida after the match, "It's not easy to leave them open one-on-one. Fortunately, today's pressing was very successful and we scored two quick goals to turn the situation around."
In the 47th minute, Don Angelo took advantage of a mistake by Simon to equalize. The Spanish team doesn't seem to be fully awake yet. If they continue to practice passing and possession in the second half, they will undoubtedly make a big mistake. Although the formation is still 5-4-1, Japan is different. Kaoru Mitsunari is no longer just defending, but supporting the front line. He went all out to chase down a seemingly unrecoverable ball (VAR excluded) and create chances for Bea Tanaka.
Against Germany, Japan completed the comeback in the 82nd minute; against Spain, they did it in the 50th minute. Thereafter, they firmly guarded the victory. In the last minute, Allenichi pounced on shots from Asensio and Olmo, but for the most part, he didn't stand up to the test. Instead, Japan's counterattacks were exceptionally lively. Takuma Asano could have converted three crosses to make it 3-1, and the three center backs, Taniguchi, Yoshitama and Itakura, all showed excellent defensive skills. Some feared they would collapse at the last minute like Belgium did for four years, but this time, they held on.
The Japanese team is combative, well-organized and level-headed. They play textbook defensive counterattacks and know when to defend, when to attack, and when to get back on defense. They seem to have had a sudden epiphany and learned how to play against strong teams.
"Everyone talks about accidents and miracles, but we don't think so because it's completely due to our own efforts," Bea Tanaka said firmly in her post-game interview, "so I'm not surprised."
The biggest difference between this Japanese men's soccer team and its predecessors is the mentality. In the past, Japan went to the World Cup not knowing how to play. They seemed content to just compete. They never believed they could beat the older teams. Such was the case four years ago when they lost to Belgium. This year, many Japanese fans fear a repeat.
But things have started to change. European clubs now highly value Japanese soccer talent. Of Japan's 26-man roster, 19 play in Europe, eight of them in the German league. the J-League has only seven players, including Tomotomo Nagatomo (who has been playing in Europe for 11 years) and Redwood Sakai (who has spent a lot of time in the German and French leagues). European players play with players from European countries every week and they are not afraid of these stars.
Therefore, when Japan fell behind Germany 0-1, the team did not go into panic. The locker room was very calm at halftime. Boichi Mori discussed the adjustments for the second half, changing from a 4-4-2 to a wing back formation. The players were very relaxed, not tense and focused on what they should be doing. Mori Baoichi turned to the offense and Japan was capable of winning the game.
Mori Poichi's adjustments also set the tone for their World Cup. Against Costa Rica, Japan did the same thing - after a poor first half, they went from four to three defenders in the second half. But they never fully controlled the game. Costa Rica scored on the counterattack and had the last laugh. At the time, Japan's World Cup seemed to be over. They were not used to playing teams weaker than themselves. However, when they returned to Khalifa Stadium to face another European giant, everything suddenly came back. "Based on the experience of playing Germany, if we were just 0-1 down (in the first half), then we could return in the second half," Yoshida concluded after the match, "We played a desperate comeback, the whole team was energized, and I'm very happy."
Team spirit is a big part of this Japanese team. In the past, Japan has a history of playing around superstars, such as Keisuke Honda and Hidetoshi Nakata. But now, they don't have such stars, and that's a good thing. They have veteran Tomodu Nagatomo and leader Asa Yoshida, but no superstars and no big names. The three may have bright futures. They are future superstars, but not yet. After moving to Brighton, they have only made two Premier League starts. The highest-achieving player in the squad, Kamada Daichi, plays for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, the Japanese team was dynamic, fast, organized and tactical enough to intimidate any opponent, especially those who provided space. Incredibly, the Japanese soccer team won first place in their group on Wednesday night, but Japan deserved it. Now that they are in the knockout stage, the players are determined to fight Croatia like Desi.
They beat two former world champion teams. Who could have predicted how far Japan would go? They were confident, found a way to win key games and put it into practice to prove it. They played two of the best games in the World Cup and rocked Spain. Most importantly, Japan showed viewers that the World Cup is still exciting, especially when a team comes together to win against the weak.
"We knew from the start that it would be difficult," said Maya Yoshida, "but this is the World Cup, anything is possible, everything is possible, and the result could be good or bad. Our goal is to win the next game, which will make history for Japan."
