The Spaniards did not try for the Germans – Sport – Kommersant
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Two more play-off participants were determined at the World Cup. From group E, the teams of Japan and Spain went further. Moreover, it was the match between them that decided everything, in which the Japanese won a strong-willed victory with a score of 2:1 and finished first with six points. The Spaniards turned out to be the second, ahead of the Germans in additional indicators, who, not without incident, defeated the Costa Rica national team – 4:2. Now Japan in the 1/8 finals will meet with Croatia, and Spain – with Morocco. The German team is going home.
Before the decisive matches, the standings in Group E had a rather unusual look. And if the leadership of the Spanish team with four points did not surprise anyone, then the position of the German team, which was in the last intermediate place with one point, was bewildering. Moreover, the national teams of Japan and Costa Rica, who had three points each, were located above it. Moreover, the Germans were still very lucky that the Costa Ricans, after the monstrous defeat 0:7 from the Spaniards, gathered all their will into a fist and defeated the Japanese. After all, if the Samurai had won then, the German national team would have already packed their bags and prepared for the inglorious return home.
And so the position of the Germans, on closer examination, did not look hopeless at all. The victory, especially with a good margin, over the Costa Ricans who saved their honor and dignity actually guaranteed them participation in the playoffs, but on the condition that the Spaniards did not lose to the Japanese either. In principle, such an outcome, when Spain and Germany calmly defeat rivals inferior to them in all football parameters and reach the 1/8 finals, seemed the most likely. The remaining options belonged to the category of sensations, the limit of which in this particular group, it seems, had already been exhausted.
If it was worth waiting for intrigue, then rather in the confrontation between Spain and Japan. The head coach of the Spaniards, Luis Enrique, continues to make a risky bet on the youngsters, so for the match with the Japanese, in addition to the young Pedri and Gavi, he released 19-year-old Alejandro Balde and 20-year-old Nico Williams, the younger brother of Inaki Williams, who plays at this World Cup for the Ghana team. It is even surprising that 30-year-old Alvaro Morata found a place in the starting lineup, although he deserved it with his goal in a meeting with the Germans. Plus, according to tradition, the functions of an uncle-mentor were performed by 34-year-old Sergio Busquets, and even Cesar Azpilicueta created a sufficient, according to Enrique, balance between experience and youth.
Meanwhile, it was the veterans who organized the first goal already in the 11th minute. Azpilicueta crossed into the penalty area, and Morata sent the ball into the net with his head. Everything turned out simply and without frills, which are so fond of technical Spaniards. And they also like to constantly possess the ball, therefore, even after scoring, Enrique’s wards practically did not share it with the Japanese and played one big “square” (there is such a training exercise in football, the purpose of which is to complete the maximum number of passes). True, when the Spaniards connected their goalkeeper Unai Simon, it became really dangerous at their gates. The “Blue Samurai”, as the Japanese national team is called, could have been punished if they were quicker.
But the Spanish techies safely rolled the ball before the break. And in the parallel match, the first half ended in favor of the favorite. Of course, such a gang – Ilkay Gundogan, Leon Goretzka, Yosua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala – led by old man Thomas Muller, was obliged to deal with the Costa Ricans, who have only one star, and that one is fading, and still playing gate – 35-year-old Keylor Navas. The Germans opened the scoring almost simultaneously with the Spaniards, and scored a similar goal. Left-back David Raum filed into the penalty area, and Gnabry just hit his head. The German national team had several more potential scoring attacks, and Navas had to work hard to keep his team in the game. But the Costa Ricans at the end of the first half of the meeting suddenly had a great moment. German central defender Antonio Rüdiger presented the ball to Keisher Fuller, who scored a beautiful goal against the Japanese, but this time star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer prevented him from scoring.
However, the most interesting events took place in the second halves of the final matches in group E. The Japanese national team nevertheless punished the Spaniards for taking too much risk when drawing the ball from their own penalty area. Simon first gave the pass to the interception, and then did not pull the ball after the strike of the substitute Ritsu Doan, who had previously scored against the Germans. Moreover, while Enrique’s wards were digesting this information, another replacement for his Japanese colleague Hajime Moriyasu worked. Kaoru Mitoma, almost behind the end line, not only saved the ball, but also assisted Ao Tanaka, who brought it into the net. Thus, the Japanese took the lead 2:1 and came out on top.
And soon everything turned upside down in another match, where the Costa Ricans, through the efforts of Yeltsin Tejeda, neutralized the advantage of the German national team, after which they completely took the lead when Juan Pablo Vargas pushed the second ball into Neuer’s goal. For some time, this group had an unimaginable situation in which Japan and Costa Rica got into the playoffs, while Spain and Germany were left out. True, the fairy tale did not last long – only three minutes, until Kai Havertz equalized the score. Then he scored a double, and Niklas Füllkrug secured the victory of the Germans – 4: 2, but the whole problem is that the Spaniards did not manage to win back. The Japanese concreted the approaches to their penalty area and quite confidently retained the desired result for themselves. Although it might seem that Enrique’s team did not really try, realizing that it is guaranteed to reach the 1/8 finals from second place, and to the Moroccan national team, which unexpectedly unhooked the Belgians and won group F. In any case, tear the veins to run into the Croats, the Spaniards did not.
Thus, the Japanese team took first place in Group E with six points, and it is they who will compete with Croatia at the start of the playoffs. The Spaniards and the Germans scored four points each, but if the first had a goal difference of “plus six”, then the second, and in place – the third, only “plus one”. As a result, the Spanish national team is waiting for a meeting with the Moroccans, and Germany sensationally leaves the World Cup. Costa Rica, on the other hand, completed its performance in Qatar very worthily.
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