Costa Rica stunned Japan 1-0 thanks to a late goal at Sunday’s World Cup to blow Group E wide open and give Germany a potential lifeline. Japan, who shocked four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their opener in Qatar, could have taken a big step towards the last 16 with a win. Instead, they worked large parts of the game against a Costa Rica side who were hammered 7-0 by Spain, then defender Keysher Fuller scored in the 81st minute with a deflected strike. It was Costa Rica’s first shot on target in this World Cup and could be of great advantage to the Germans.
The result left Spain, Japan and Costa Rica all three points behind. Spain will face Germany in another crucial match later on Sunday.
Japan made five changes to the team, shocking Germany in their opening game as coach Hajime Moriyasu made full use of his 26-man roster.
In temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Japan immediately went on the offensive, winning a corner kick within 30 seconds to make their intent clear.
Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez had resisted making large-scale changes to the team beaten by Spain, sending teenage winger Jewison Bennette and defender Carlos Martinez to the bench.
Gerson Torres and 34-year-old centre-back Kendall Waston took their places in an aging four-man XI from the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup.
But Japan’s early promise melted in the Doha sun and the first shot on target – a tame effort that sailed high and wide – came through Costa Rica’s 30-year-old Joel Campbell only 10 minutes after the break.
A dismal first half came to an end as “Los Ticos” had more possession but neither side managed to score a shot on target.
Moriyasu had seen enough and made a double change at half-time, including the introduction of Bundesliga striker Takuma Asano, who scored the winner against the Germans.
The Blue Samurai were immediately sharper and midfielder Hidemasa Morita pulled off the first real save of the game with a powerful strike within seconds of the restart.
Moriyasu threw to Brighton striker Kaoru Mitoma at defender just after the hour mark as Japan chased for victory that would put them on the brink of the last 16.
It was all Japan as the game ticked down in front of 41,000 spectators for the final 20 minutes.
Substitute Junya Ito appeared to have wriggled free and approached the goal, only for Costa Rica defender Francisco Calvo to cynically pull him back on the edge of the box, earning a yellow card that could easily have been red.
Costa Rica had done nothing as an offensive force for most of the game, but nine minutes from normal time, they stole it when Fuller’s shot deflected and came in.
(This story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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