fifa world cup 2022

Japan gets 2 late goals to upset Germany 2-1 in their World Cup opener

84 Comments
By CIARÁN FAHEY

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84 Comments
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Gotta say that it's very emotional to see Japan come back after the penalty goal by Germany. This now looks lije FIFA 2022 is full of surprises, first Saudi beat Argentina, now this. Go Japan.

13 ( +27 / -14 )

Yesssssss! Brilliant performance from Moriyasu-Japan! This game underlines Gaffer Moriyasu as without any doubt one of the best in world soccer. His changes after the break brought the Samurai to life. Asano was outstanding when he came on, Germany had no answers. (Possible tip for Golden Boot). Gonda was worlds-best standard between the posts.

While the world is shocked, the result doesn't surprise me one bit. I have said all along Japan should aim for a minimum of a semi-final - and see what happens from there. Germany is effectively out of the WC - unless they upset Spain.

Cmon Samurai-Blue! Fly that flag for Asia!

-7 ( +14 / -21 )

Then you have to say that Japan gave us a lesson in efficiency.

Not something you often hear a German say.

16 ( +22 / -6 )

It's what football is about. Saudi beat Argentina, Now Japan beats Germany.

1 ( +11 / -10 )

Holy smokes, it's a tournament of upsets.

Very happy for the Japanese team. Great win guys!

11 ( +19 / -8 )

This game was so exciting. They truly went all out on the second half.

12 ( +18 / -6 )

A well deserved win ! As a german I am not surprised at all. Our team plays unmotivated, sluggish soccer. No wonder we call them „ Gurkentruppe“

16 ( +22 / -6 )

I predicted this. But most people said to me the countries outside of Europe are just making up the numbers.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

Terrific win for Japan, especially for coming from behind like that. Sasuga!

But it’s also sad that the German team didn’t perform as well given their courage shown by protesting the host country’s record of poor human rights. Kudos to them for taking a stand.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

Well played Samurai Blue. Congrats.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Germany must be sick as a parrot. Still, at the end of the day it’s a game if two halves.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

After suffering more than one hour, gaman, gaman, the team made an historical comeback. Congratulations.

And Gonda was great.

Though, the team is not as strong as its predecessors of the last three world cups, and lack physical aptitude. I feel much less confident. Wait and see.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

Why aren't they wearing masks?

-13 ( +9 / -22 )

Awful.

I feel very sorry for those living in Japan that don't like the Japanese national team. You'll now have to watch constant replays of the goals with that horrid screaming commentary blaring over the top.

Germany should have been out of sight.

Will now be hoping Costa Rica can beat Japan.

-24 ( +6 / -30 )

Though, the team is not as strong as its predecessors of the last three world cups, and lack physical aptitude. I feel much less confident. Wait and see.

Must be talking about the German team here right? The Japanese team showed the world something the past Japanese WC teams never had, resilience. Past teams would seemingly wilt away when they fell behind or played for the draw. This team never gave up and it showed.

If you are talking about the Japanese team, your comment sounds defeatist at best.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

Absolutely shocking. Germany appeared to be in complete control -- possessing the ball for nearly 75% of the match and having a shots-on-goal edge of 26 to 12. Japan is now in a very good position to advance to the knock-out stage, but you genuinely have to wonder whether this type of play can generate consecutive wins there.

I guess most of Japan will be awake at 4:00 a.m. on December 2 for its third WC match -- against Spain!

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Japan couldn’t keep the ball for more than just a few seconds; extremely embarrassing (possession:74% for Germany) but the most important thing in a football game is the goal; Congratulations, Japan.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Great result. Will avoid Japanese TV for a few days though….

7 ( +22 / -15 )

What a turn around! Go the Samurai Bliue! Show Japan that impossible is nothing. Pure grit, speed and hard work! That second goal from Asano was just phenomenal!

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Excellent result! Congratulations to the Japanese team! Keep winning!!!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

A fantastic result, and so great to see Japan mature as a footballing nation. They may have hung on by the skin if their teeth, but they scored the goals and deserved their win.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Liquid football!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

substitutes? how about starting them?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Great game for Japan. Really opened up and went for it in the 2nd half while Germany fell asleep.

The true winners were the fans in the stands. You could literally see the pure joy and emotion on their faces.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Congratulations Japan!

Japan hardly saw the ball in the first half and came home strong.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

YubaruToday  07:25 am JST

Though, the team is not as strong as its predecessors of the last three world cups, and lack physical aptitude. I feel much less confident. Wait

Must be talking about the German team here right? The Japanese team showed the world something the past Japanese WC teams never had, resilience

Germany was in complete control, Japan was over dominated and nearly sinking during the first half, did not catch any second ball. They could only survive thanks to the goalkeeper, some luck and inability for Germany to score a second goal. I have never seen in the pas World Cups the Japanese team being so much over dominated.

Then, as you said, resiliency, a good coaching made the difference.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Japan played and stuck to football, never gave up. deserved to win.

Must admit to a few drinks. What day is it?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The true winners were the fans in the stands. You could literally see the pure joy and emotion on their faces.

Well said. And video coming through on social media are showing the Japanese fans staying back at the stadium well after the final whistle, and giving it a thorough clean up. Kudos to them!

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Great strategy overall and especially after taking the lead! The keeper did a great job second half!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Gambare Nippon!

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Wow . . . good for team Japan!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Germany was in complete control, Japan was over dominated and nearly sinking during the first half, did not catch any second ball. They could only survive thanks to the goalkeeper, some luck and inability for Germany to score a second goal. I have never seen in the pas World Cups the Japanese team being so much over dominated.

But in the end, all that matters is the final score. I admit I do not regularly watch soccer and dont watch the finer points of any particular match, so when you say "over dominated" that really doesnt resound with me, as the only I follow in the end is the final score.

A team, in just about any sport, can play flawlessly, yet still loose.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Today  07:27 am JST “ Great result. Will avoid Japanese TV for a few days though…. “

Lmao (!)(!) Why all the downvotes to this post(?) (we all know how Japanese tv is); (and to make it even funnier –) imagine if they had lost yesterday (zero coverage then); the thing with the Japanese is that, when they win, their pride blinds them and they can’t (and don’t wanna) see the truth: the level of their team is still mediocre. Kind of like with England. (while they’re losing, they look like they’re humble but as soon as they start winning, the level of their arrogance and vanity will reach enormous heights) Anyway, this is why we love football; you never know what you can expect from a football game. Congratulations, Japan (!)

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Lots of trolls out today. My gosh, why shouldn't you be excited for Japan? I see the usual suspects who felt the urge to denigrate Roki Sasaki after his perfect game are the same ones here downvoting enthusiastic fans of Samurai Blue after a thrilling win.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

A great result and great entertainment. Wish I'd watched it in a bar!

The German defender Rudiger did a high kicking run alongside Asano about 60 minutes in to mock him. Asano scored the winning goal twenty minutes later. Rudiger's done the same mocking thing in the Premier League before, to Miguel Almiron, so it was definitely deliberate. Germany lost to S. Korea last World Cup, so you would think they would take Asian opposition seriously.

GO JAPAN!

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I have been into the Samurai Blue since 2002 and go to every game when they play at Nagai Stadium. They almost always play a strong 1st half and gas out in the 2nd. This is the start of a revolution! lol Asano, Doan, Tomiyasu and Minamino are all potential starters but came off of the bench and instantly made an impact. Asano attacked as soon as he stepped on the field. I wonder if they are going with this approach for the Costa Rica match or will switch starters. I can't wait for 7pm Sunday night!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Doan's catch-up goal in the later half gave me relief, and I was only wishing the full time would come much sooner (to leave +1 point to both sides) :)

The second winning goal was beyond my expectation. Felt excited but somehow numb.

See how frustrated I was with 7-minutes (!) long injury time :)

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The Germans taught the Japanese too much. The Japanese are good at learning people's trade secrets.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Well done Japan. Enough said.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

As a fan of Japanese work ethics and discipline having visited A few Japanese Port city's was not surprised of the result against Germany.Both the players who scored the goals against Germany play in the " Bundesliga" in Germany .Didn't Japan overtake U.S.A as the largest Car maker in the World initially using " COPYCAT technology" of U.S.A car manufacturers?.Same holds true for soccer and wishing the Japanese team wins and qualifications into the second round in World Cup 2022

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

You can dominate the pitch as much as you like; the key is to dominate the goals.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Well done Japan. Made the most of the chances and was able to capitalize on them.

Japan has given itself a very good chance of progressing if they can beat Costa Rica in the next game. Spain has a huge goal difference in its favor but if Japan can hold Spain to a draw, Germany will need to beat Spain and Costa Rica to have a chance to go through.

Japan has thrown its group into disarray with three teams in the running to move through and Japan is right now looking the goods.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

*Note: Sorry if my comments sounded negative; I’m extremely happy for Japan btw; I just like to look at the whole picture. Maybe I should just say: *Well done, Samurai Blue. :)

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Congratulations NIPPON.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Germany seem to be well in control about 70 percent of the game. All of a sudden the Japan made some changes, increased their intensity and won the game. Soccer is similar to chess at times. You can lose control if another player makes a good move and you don't respond.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Dismal first half but a great finish in the second. Great to see the team make the adjustments as Germany controlled most of the game. Next game is Nov 27, I guess we will see replays of the two goals on J-TV for the next 5days.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Great effort from Japan. They usually fail in the end not shine.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Japan had a great strategy, as German out possessed to the tune of 80% in the first half. The hope was the Germans didn't have a klose(r) and would be vulnerable to counters, with poor defenders.

Luckily, for Japan, Germany could not take advantage of their many chances, and the strategy worked to perfection with some great strikes by the counter heavy offense Japan's speed created. Itoh was the fastest, quickest player on the pitch.

A great...the best ever, imo...for Japan. Next game could clinch a spot in the knockout round.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

What a game!!

Now can we get a public holiday like they did in Saudi Arabia?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

With the relentless fighting spirit, Saudi Arabia and Japan so far are the two Asian teams that came from one goal down to defeat the two soccer powerhouses of the world.

Meanwhile, the Socceroos have steadily lost their fighting spirit since Arnold was chosen to be their head coach in 2018.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

They will be drinking sake ,not Budweiser Google Budweiser World Cup

-10 ( +0 / -10 )

Congrats, Japan! Enjoy ur victory bc it won't last, especially after your match against Spain.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

this is what is soccer about,its not about LGBTI bands or BLM poses,its about spirit of sport,fight till end do your best and never give up.

good result and sure very motivating one.

good luck boys next is Spain...wish you good luck do your bests...gambaroooooooze!

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Best way to virtue signal is to actually win the game first.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Here we go! Where were All these die hard fans before the game?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I just wish they'd do it here too. I wish they'd realize that after SEVEN coronavirus waves and with an EIGHTH one upon us, that masks don't work.

Your argument is invalid, people eating empty calories in the stadium instead of salads do not prove the snacks represent a healthy diet. It just mean people feel free to do something at that opportunity without caring too much for the consequences.

Having many cases of infection is not an argument against the efficacy of masks, for that you would have to prove that not wearing the masks would not result in higher number of cases. For all you know the cases are compromised mostly of people that are not wearing a mask. If 1% of the population is no longer wearing one that is room for having at least a million cases in this population.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Really nice game, and by luck in a very convenient time to see. Maybe Japan's luck is going to finish in the next game, but it would be huge to see another victory.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Exciting match, especially the last 20 minutes.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Go Blue Samurai!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

> Fighto!Today  06:26 am JST

Yesssssss! Brilliant performance from Moriyasu-Japan! This game underlines Gaffer Moriyasu as without any doubt one of the best in world soccer. His changes after the break brought the Samurai to life. Asano was outstanding when he came on, Germany had no answers. (Possible tip for Golden Boot). Gonda was worlds-best standard between the posts.

While the world is shocked, the result doesn't surprise me one bit. I have said all along Japan should aim for a minimum of a semi-final - and see what happens from there. Germany is effectively out of the WC - unless they upset Spain.

Cmon Samurai-Blue! Fly that flag for Asia!

Too much enthusiasm for a game that Germany had in hand for most of the game and just lost because it didnl't finalize it's many chances.

The four time world champion still have a change,and no worries because in the end it will be a matter between Europeans and South Americans as always.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Oddly enough I had absolutely no clue Japan was playing, much less winning.

If it was in my country you'd get to know anyway, either by the cheap noisy fireworks everywhere or by the walls shaking

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Perhaps other commenters opinions or facts or feelings about certain topics dont agree with you .

However everyone here is entitled to comment and therefore their comments are valid.

Nobody knows everything so try to take that into consideration please.

There is a huge difference between comments and arguments, everybody is free to make a comment, even with a wrong argument, but that is not the same as saying the argument is valid when it can easily be demonstrated as mistaken. "Not knowing everything" is not an argument either to demonstrate something disproved is valid, for that you would have to address the reasons that lead to this conclusion and argue against them.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Great game, very exciting to watch. For me the man of the match was actually the Japan team's goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda. Incredible, crucial saves!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

its nice and all but they just spent 90 minutes talking about how much taller the German players are than Japanese. Will this incessant coverage end soon? At least I can watch youtube

2 ( +4 / -2 )

ZiziToday 07:24 am JST

Awful.

> I feel very sorry for those living in Japan that don't like the Japanese national team. You'll now have to watch constant replays of the goals with that horrid screaming commentary blaring over the top.

> Germany should have been out of sight.

> Will now be hoping Costa Rica can beat Japan.

Seriously, but that's why I have cable TV. Haven't seen a replay yet.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The reasons that prove the argument invalid are there, you have not refuted them, so just calling them "personal bias" is also invalid, either you make your argument and disprove that a comparison is necessary to say masks are useless or you accept the argument is valid even if you personally don't like it.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Credit where it's due: Good job, Japan. Didn't think they'd even score, let alone win. I hope this is good for the sport in Japan and we see true fans born, not just the ones who didn't watch because they thought Japan would lose but are now soccer fans 'since birth' since Japan won.

One MAJOR fault with it: the Japanese commentators. I was so sickened by their incessant cries of "Offu-saido! Offu-Saido!" every single time a German player had the ball near the net, or "PK Yarou? Pk Yarou? Nande kore?!", or lamenting the technology that stopped their first goal from counting, then depending on it to discount the second German goal (without acknowledging they'd lamented it until then), and my favorite exchange:

Commentator 1: What do you think, Makino-san?

Makino: Well, if I were goal keeper there, I think I would have moved to the left instead, to stop the ball from going in

when they were crying about the German goal.

Oh, and of course, having to post Honda's face and name to everything, despite him never having been that great a player (or at least not nearly as great as he himself thinks he was).

Good luck to them for the rest of the tournament, and Germany as well. I hope they learned from this and improve, as I really felt after they scored that first goal they were holding back until near the end. I doubt Japan will do better than this, but then again, I doubted after their loss to Canada they'd even get this far. So, we'll see. Let's just have fun and enjoy it!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

All the newly self appointed armchair footie players need to remember its just a game to enjoy or suffer and should stick to just posting about the football and not the million other aspects of the WC.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Firstly, Great win for Japan, Period. No ifs or buts. 5 points by anybody may get you out of this group. A lot of football to play yet though

@smithinjapan: I think we've all been all here long enough to know how awful Japanese commentary is - the Japanese I work with who have lived abroad concur. I'm always perplexed since 2006 when Japan went fully HD that NHK no longer offered bilingual coverage,yet back in the 1990's did.

Fortunately, the Internet has improved so greatly that I have watched the whole Tournament in 4K (yes...it really is, I've checked the incoming resolution) from FOX in the US thru a solid VPN. My back up has been the BBC from the UK. Well worth it.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Congratulations to Japan! Very exciting Futbol!

It is a good thing I am not a betting man....I would have lost my shirt. First Saudi Arabia, and now Japan? Although Japan winning was much less of a long shot than Saudi Arabia winning. What an exciting World Cup!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The Japanese went to Qatar to play football; the Germans went to do some pathetic posturing and virtue-signalling. Congratulations, Japan!

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

I have a serious question for those that attend football matches in Japan: do the fans clean up the stadium after the game? Or is it just when they're abroad?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

You get what you put in and japan got what they deserved.

They played their hearts out congratulations Japan

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The coach was a lot calmer, bordering on inscrutable, than I would have been - especially in extra time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Japanese clearly wanted it more that the Germans, who look complacent and unwilling to give the Japanese push the caution it needed. It was well deserved for Japan.

The tenacity and audacity of the Japanese paid dividends, no doubt, with that being said Manuel Neuer played those two goals extremely poorly.

I used to play keeper for a good 10 years in my youth. As a keeper you are trained to know how to deflect a shot or a close-range pass in a way that ricochets or secondary shots are less likely. Sure, it is not always possible for many different reasons, but the basic point is to be aware of where other enemy players are, and Neuer seemed to be oblivious as to where Doan was, not even turning once towards the center of the field to check for possible pass receiving Japenese, so when the shot came he just reacted without any intention put to his deflection.

On the second goal his approach and reaction was disastrous, Asano is coming fast and at a closed angle, but nonetheless he waits a bit too much to close on him, and then when he shoots he moves his chest out of the way, instead of blocking with his chest fully to the edge of the goal post. If he doesn't move his chest out of the way, as he shouldn't have, that goal does not go in. The slow motion reply makes him look pathetic preferring to avoid the ball that block it. YAK!! Can't see how he is ever considered one of the best keepers in the world. Two huge mental blunders gave the game to the Japanese. Although as I said above, all this was caused by the tenacity and unwillingness to give up by the Japanese, and a defense that was already mentally out of the game. Still, dreadful goalkeeping.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Awesome win! Congratulations Japan!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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