Soccer World Cup in Qatar
Costa Rica gives huge help to DFB team: win against Japan
Keysher Fuller (M) made it 1-0 for Costa Rica and celebrated his goal. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
0:7 follows 1:0 – Costa Rica is involved again in the World Cup and is helping the German national team enormously. Anything is possible in Group E on the last matchday.
After their resurrection at the World Cup in Qatar, the footballers from Costa Rica didn’t think at all of the DFB team.
“We did it for ourselves. That’s football. We gave everything today,” said midfielder Celso Borges after the unexpected 1-0 (0-0) victory over Germany’s conqueror Japan, who made a spectacular comeback for Costa Rica after the hearty 0:7 against Spain means – and at the same time massively helps the German national team. “We never stop believing in ourselves,” said Keysher Fuller, who decided the weak game with a flick in the 81st minute.
The DFB-Elf is only challenged against Spain in the evening (8 p.m. / ZDF and MagentaTV) – but even before the eagerly awaited top game it is clear that Germany has the chance to win the group final on Thursday (8 p.m.) against Costa Rica Round of 16 preserved. But if Germany loses against Spain beforehand, you would no longer have the jump into the knockout stages, which already failed in 2018 as the defending champion in Russia, in the third game in your own hands.
Japanese frustrated – Costa Rica celebrates
After the final whistle, Japan’s Daichi Kamada slouched through the sun-drenched arena with his head bowed, the euphoric pros from Costa Rica ran straight onto the pitch: it was a big surprise that the Central Americans managed a few days after the shame against Spain. And it fueled the motivation to show it to ex-world champion Germany. “We’re still alive. Now we have to think about Germany. Nobody can forget us, we’re still here,” said coach Luis Fernando Suárez.
Japan and Costa Rica are each on three points – but the mood in Al-Rajjan could not have been more different. “We initially tried not to concede a goal. In the end we played to make it 1-0, but we didn’t make it,” said Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu, who, despite the coup over the eleven by national coach Hansi Flick, made five changes in the starting eleven prompted. Japan struggled with deep-seated opponents and powerful Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas – and looked puzzled in the closing stages when the underdogs had their only chance to win.
While the first Advent was celebrated in Germany in sunshine and cold temperatures, the two outsiders negotiated decisively in front of 41,479 spectators in Qatar about the further starting position of the DFB team. One thing was clear: the better the Germany victors do against Costa Rica, the more difficult it will be for Hansi Flick’s team to create an acceptable starting position.
Moriyasus moves don’t pay off
Moriyasu’s five changes didn’t pay off, even though Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan came in as a starter. “We didn’t start the game well, it was better against Germany. Now we have to see how the constellation is in the evening,” said Doan. It will always be complicated, because the result was already clear in the afternoon: no team can be eliminated early from Group E after two matchdays – and no team can buy the round of 16 ticket early. Not even the Spaniards with their outstanding goal difference after a splendid 7:0.
The most spectacular thing about the game was the winning goal, otherwise boredom prevailed. In addition to the dreary lunchtime kick, there was almost no atmosphere in the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. A phenomenon that had already been observed in Japan against Germany four days earlier. After the break, Moriyasu brought Germany terror Takuma Asano directly, who was supposed to help with speed and technique to finally overcome the outsider’s massive bulwark. “The performance was right, but the result wasn’t. We have to work on that,” said Moriyasu.
Key figures in the outsider’s victory included goalkeeper Navas, who made several saves to keep from conceding a goal – and Fuller, who created the winning work of art when nobody was hoping for a goal anymore. “It was a huge effort from my pros,” said boss Suarez. He didn’t want to talk about technique and tactics, for him the only thing that counted for him was the excellent morale four days after severe humiliation on the biggest possible football stage.