The biggest sporting event in the world continues with the Group E Japan v Costa Rica clash that should hopefully see a shot for Coasta Rica, or alternatively a win for Japan to seal passage to the knockout stage.
With so many games and so little time, our Group E Japan v Costa Rica Match Centre tries to sum it all up as quickly as possible before and after the game and with just a hint of cynicism. If you wanted professional and/or good you’d be on the BBC website, not here. Essentially, we watch and follow the game so you don’t have to.
With answers to the key questions prior to the match and our Minutes that Mattered summary and stats post game, it is a real Who Cares guide to the 2022 World Cup for the person on the go.
Enjoy the Group E Japan v Costa Rica Match Centre.
KICKOFF – SUNDAY 27TH NOV – 13:00 (QATAR) 10:00 (UK) 21:00 (AEDT)
Group E Japan v Costa Rica Match Review
Costa Rica have turned Group E on its head with an upset 1-0 win over Japan, despite the Japanese dominating the game in nearly every department.
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
5’ Min Costa Rica have started the game well enough with three free kicks in Japan territory, none are converted but we guess they’ll take that as a start after being beaten 7-0 last start.
10’ Min Either the fans are way too polite, which is every chance if you’ve seen the garbage collecting Japanese fans, or that the stadium isn’t very full. In some of the early stages you could clearly hear the players chatting to each other. FIFA coverage is doing plenty of crowd shots just so you know fans are there.
13’ Min First really decent chance for either side goes to Japan, who make a move down the right, and a perfect cross is rolled in between six yard line and the keeper but no Japanese player could reach the ball.
34’ Min Best attacking phase of the match from Costa Rica, which doesn’t end any different to the 33+ minutes before score-wise, but they are doing well against a side that Germany last time out.
40’ Min First booking of the match goes to Costa Rica’s Anthony Contreras, and it is fair enough. Contreras misses the ball but not the Japanese player’s leg. Japan get their first a couple of minutes later for an AFL style attempt to tackle.
45’ Min Half time in this key Group E clash, and 0-0 is no surprise given half of the games at this World Cup have seen a 0-0 scoreline at the break. We can overlook the score as some of these games do turn from ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. But the no shots on target for either side can officially kiss our arse.
HALF TIME 0-0
46’ Min Well the changes made at half time have sure worked for Japan, with one of the new additions inspiring the game’s first shot on target with 30 seconds of the second half kicking off.
47’ Min Another easy save for Navas in the Cost Rica goal, but another shot on target from Japan. Strap yourself in, this half is travelling at a different speed as the first, and this game goes from late night background noise to sit forward and watch.
57’ Min Japan continue to pressure Costa Rica and they are just holding on. This time Japan almost take advantage of an undercooked back pass to the keeper.
60’ Min Japan are looking for some strong tent pegs, as they are camped deep in Cost Rica territory, the only things that isn’t relentless is the scoring for now.
63’ Min Japan go close from a free kick on the edge of the penalty box, but can’t find the net. In case you’re wondering, yes Costa Rica are playing in this game this afternoon in Qatar, when they do something interesting we’ll let you know right here.
71’ Min Costa Rica’s Francisco Calvo brings down Junya Ito just outside the box In a move that possibly saves a goal but earns him a yellow card that will see him miss the next match. Seems a bit harsh, but a bonus for the Cost Rican players who won’t have to suffer playing again for Costa Rica this World Cup.
75’ Min Something different for Japan. Not the dominating or spending their time in Costa Rican territory, but they finally had players waiting for the perfect cross and the cross was overblown and terrible, those waiting unable to get close.
81’ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL FOR COSTA RICA
Well can you believe it? Finally a shot on target for the 2022 World Cup and it’s a goal. The goal keeper is slightly out of position, but that mattered little to Keysher Fuller who chips and curls around him. The scoring opportunity was created after a poor clearance from Japan and punished in full.
JAPAN 0 COSTA RICA 1
88’ Min Football pinball is played in front of the Costa Rican goal and somehow Navas plucks the ball out of the air and away from the many players crowding around. Somehow, Costa Rica holding on.
90’ Min Six agonising minutes of added time for Costa Rica to endure.
90’ +5 Min. Free kick to Japan seems to be the Japanese’s last chance of the night. They are unable to break through the Costa Rica wall, and not long after the sweet sound of the referee’s whistle goes ending the game. That’s two games in a row for Costa Rica where the ref’s whistle was a relief.
Final Score
JAPAN 0
COSTA RICA 1
Keysher Fuller 81′
HT 0-0
Group E Japan v Costa Rica Match Stats
Coming soon.
Group E Japan v Costa Rica Starting Teams
JAPAN (4-2-3-1)
12 Gonda
2 Yamane
4 Itakura
22 Yoshida
5 Nagatomo
6 Endo
13 Morita
8 Doan
15 Kamada
24 Soma
21 Ueda
COSTA RICA (3-4-2-1)
1 Navas
6 Duarte
19 Waston
15 Calvo
4 Fuller
5 Borges
17 Tejeda
8 Oviedo
13 Torre
12 Campbell
7 Contreras
Group E Japan v Costa Rica Match Preview
Why should you care?
Because these teams had very different first up games and we need another game to start to fully asses their chances.
For Japan we, and most of the footballing world will be wonder if Japanese can keep the winning going, and be an outside chance to top the group, not just sneak in the knockouts.
If Japan could outplay Germany as they did last game in the second half, then imagine what they could do to a side that was belted 7-0 in the last game.
For Costa Rica, their 7-0 loss basically rules them out of the tournament, so they may play a little more daring against Japan. A single shot would be improvement, as Costa Rica didn’t manage any shots at all v Spain..
Who should you care about?
While Ilkay Gundogan wasn’t impressed with Takuma Asano’s goal for Japan, calling it one of the easiest ever scored at a World Cup with a hint of the sourest of grapes, we think it was a well taken goal and Takuma Asano was good for Japan. He came on as a substitute in the 56th minute and still had five shots on goal (one on target). No other Japanese player had more than one shot.
Full 2022 World Cup Squads & Stats
Is there a barely interesting fact?
Costa Rica have won their only World Cup game v Asian nations.
Japan are unbeaten against Costa Rica in four games (W3 D1) and Japan scored three goals in all of those wins.
Who will win?
Japan 2 Costa Rica 1
Full 2022 World Cup Predictions
