Mixed night for European heavyweights as Germany stunned and Belgium, Spain win

Al Khor: Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late goals on Wednesday (local time) to give Japan a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany at the World Cup.

The four-time champions looked to be cruising to victory after as first-half penalty by Ilkay Gundogan, but paid a fatal price for missing chances.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, 18-year-old midfielder Gavi became the youngest World Cup scorer in more than 60 years as Spain routed Costa Rica 7-0, while Morocco and Croatia fought out a scoreless draw in the early match. Belgium held on to beat Canada 1-0 in the final match of the day.

Germany looked in total command in the Group E clash but, with each missed chance, left the door open for Japan, who showed almost nothing in attack until a series of substitutions injected some energy in the second half.

Doan, who plays for German team Freiburg, pounced on a rebound to equalise in the 76th minute after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked a shot from Takumi Minamino.

Then Asano, who plays for German team Bochum, sprinted clear of Nico Schlotterbeck and beat Neuer from a narrow angle in the 83rd.

Takuma Asano of Japan scores his team’s second goal against Germany.Credit: Getty Images

It was a turnaround that looked scarcely believable as Japan struggled to get any foothold for most of the game.

Germany’s early dominance was rewarded when Joshua Kimmich picked out David Raum in acres of space in the box and goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda clumsily brought him down as he turned, with Guendogan dispatching the penalty in the 33rd minute.

Kai Havertz turned in what he thought was a second in first-half stoppage time and although the assistant referee was about the only person in the Khalifa International stadium not to notice he was a metre offside, VAR duly disallowed it.

There was initially little change to the pattern in the second half as Jamal Musiala shot over after a penetrating run and Guendogan clipped a post.

Gonda then made amends with four successive saves to deny Jonas Hofmann and Serge Gnabry, keeping his side in the game.

Manuel Neuer, appearing in his fourth World Cup, was also alert to save from Hiroki Sakai and did well again soon after to block from Takumi Minamino, only for fellow substitute Doan to smash in the loose ball.

Suddenly buoyed, Japan pushed on and Asano showed great strength to bring down a high free kick and hold off defender Nico Schlotterbeck and fantastic technique to hammer the ball into the smallest of spaces.

Germany launched all-out attack from then on, to no avail, and now face a must-win Group E game against Spain.

German players cover their mouths to protest against being gagged by FIFA. Credit: AP

Japan next face Costa Rica and will already be dreaming of the last 16.

Germany became the second powerhouse after Argentina to get off to a poor World Cup start. The shock result was a repeat of Germany’s 2018 World Cup nightmare when, as defending champions, they lost their opener to Mexico and, after another defeat by South Korea, were condemned to an unheard-of group-stage exit.

Before the game, Germany’s players covered their mouths during the team photo in an apparent rebuke to FIFA following its decision to stop plans to wear armbands to protest discrimination in host nation Qatar.

Spanish heavyweights record tournament’s biggest win to date

Not since Pelé in 1958 had someone as young as Gavi scored a goal at the World Cup.

The teen led the way as Spain pulled off the biggest World Cup victory in its history, routing Costa Rica 7-0.

“I could never have imagined it,” said Gavi, who was named the game’s most valuable player. “I know I’m the youngest in the team and I respect everyone, but on the field it’s different and I bring out my best.”

Pele scored two goals in the 1958 final, when Brazil won their first World Cup by beating Sweden 5-2.

“I’m proud to be in that podium,” he said. “Not even in my dreams I had imagined this.”

Gavi celebrates scoring the fifth goal in Spain’s 7-0 win over Costa Rica.Credit: AP

Gavi only managed to score one goal on Wednesday, but his teammates added plenty of others.

Not long after Japan surprised Germany, Spain’s young squad avoided any chance of an upset with Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres scoring a goal each in the first half. Torres, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata added to the lead in the second half.

In addition to Gavi’s mark, Olmo’s goal was the 100th at World Cups for “La Roja,” who became the sixth nation to score more than 100 times in the tournament.

It was the first time Spain scored seven goals in a World Cup match, and the first time a team completed 1000 passes in a 90-minute game at the tournament.

Belgium one game away

Michy Batshuayi scored in the first half and Thibaut Courtois saved a penalty as Belgium opened their World Cup campaign on Wednesday with a scrappy 1-0 win over an energetic Canada who were back in the finals for first time in 36 years.

Leading the Belgian attack in the absence of injured talisman Romelu Lukaku, Batshuayi scored against the run of play on the stroke of halftime to put the Red Devils top of Group F ahead of Morocco and Croatia who earlier drew 0-0. A win on Sunday over Morocco will see Belgium advance with a game to spare.

In their only other World Cup appearance in Mexico in 1986, Canada lost all three matches and failed to score a goal.

The Red Devils celebrate a 1-0 win over Canada.Credit: AP

They looked as if they would register their long awaited first goal when Belgium’s Yannick Carrasco handled the ball in the 11th minute and Alphonso Davies stepped up to take the penalty with the Canadian supporters roaring.

But Courtois, one of the world’s best goalkeepers, denied Davies an historic score by stopping his weak spot-kick.

The Canadian attack continued to press, their speed creating havoc in the Belgian defence and keeping Courtois busy throughout the first half.

But against the run of play Belgium took the lead when Batshuayi broke between two defenders, ran on to a long ball and shot past goalkeeper Milan Borjan in the 44th minute.

Croatia-Morocco stalemate

Earlier, Croatia’s World Cup campaign got off to a stuttering start with a 0-0 draw against a battling Morocco as the 2018 runners-up lacked the punch of the side that went so close in Russia.

Chances were at a premium at Al Bayt Stadium as an even Group F contest produced little goalmouth action, and ended in the third goalless draw in nine games at the World Cup so far.

There were glimpses of a goal for both sides, with Nikola Vlasic going close for Croatia at the end of the first half while Noussair Mazraoui had a header saved for Morocco.

Croatia will now turn their attention to their game against Canada on Sunday, when Morocco will face Belgium.

Mateo Kovacic of Croatia and Sofyan Amrabat of Morocco battle for the ball.Credit: Getty Images

Croatia’s best moments predictably hinged on Luka Modric, who was given the freedom of the park, floating effortlessly from back to front, with football’s traditional midfield roles seeming not to apply to Croatia’s captain.

One minute he was patrolling in front of his back four, the next hanging off the shoulder of Andrej Kramaric up front, but always looking to open up the north Africans, whether he was hovering at right back or hunting further forward.

Morocco looked principally to Hakim Ziyech for inspiration and the Chelsea winger, recalled to the squad following coach Walid Regragui’s appointment, was their most dangerous attacking outlet in the early stages, although his good work lacked an end product.

While the encounter was low on action it was at least high on intensity, as both sides battled for midfield supremacy, but the first half ended with neither goal really threatened until the closing moments when Vlasic’s low effort was saved by Yassine Bounou.

There was more action in the first five minutes of the second half when Morocco had raucous appeals for a penalty waved away after Sofiane Boufal’s shot appeared to hit Dejan Lovren’s arm, seconds before Mazraoui’s header was saved by Dominik Livakovic.

Moments later, Lovren’s effort on the slide at the other end was blocked by Sofyan Amrabat, but that was about as good as it got for Croatia until centre back Josko Gvardiol’s header went wide in the 80th minute.

Reuters, AP

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