The Japanese took against Costa Rica with confidence following one of their largest victory over former world champions Germany in their initial match. Costa Rica had just lost to Spain by a score of 0-7. The Costa Ricans surprised everyone by defeating the Asian powerhouses 1-0 in Match 26 of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at Ar Rayyan Stadium.
Japan attempts to put the ball into the box of Costa Rica early in the game, but Duarte does well to make a strong tackle on him. In an effort to regain some control, Costa Rica is distributing the ball. Kamada tries desperately to score from inside the Costa Rican box at minute 19, but he misses the goal. As the 25 minutes go on, both teams start to lose steam, with Japan switching to a high-energy mode.
When Francisco Calvo’s initial shot at the goal is blocked just outside the box and collected by Joel Campbell 20 yards off the Japanese goal, who curls it just over the crossbar, Costa Rica comes close to scoring the opening goal 35 minutes into the first half. Miki Yamane receives a booking just before the start of the second half for a late behind-the-back tackle on Campbell in the 44th minute. There was an additional two minutes of play, but there was little to show for it as the first half ends scoreless for both teams.
The second half’s action takes on a more hostile tone as both sides commit a number of fouls. One occurred when Borges received a yellow card in the 61st minute for bringing down Endo on the edge of Costa Rica’s box. In the 70th minute, Takuma Asano committed another foul when he attempted to rush in from the edge of the Costa Rican box but was abruptly tackled by defender Calvo by the arm. For his action, the latter receives a yellow card.
In the 76th minute, Japan tries to generate a chance as Soma sends in a cross from the right side of the Costa Rican box, but it overshoots everyone in the vicinity. The shot may have been a great chance for Japan, but it was poorly performed. As the first goal of the game is scored, the clock has passed 80 minutes. Kyle Fuller receives a cross from Yeltsin Tejeda at the edge of the Japanese penalty area, and he curls it past Gonda’s outstretched hand to score. Japan is under a lot of pressure now after scoring a crucial goal toward the end of the second half.
As the 90-minute mark approaches, the game continues. The referee adds an additional 7 minutes, and Japan is now desperately trying to find a leveler. Costa Rica, on the other hand, stood their ground and prevented Asians from scoring. Costa Rica defeats Japan in a hard-fought 1-0 victory as the referee signals the end of the match.
Costa Rica scored a much-needed upset victory, defeating Japan 1-0 in their Group E FIFA World Cup 2022 match after falling to Spain 0-7 in their initial game. After winning, Costa Rica overtook Germany to go up to third place in Group E. Currently, Spain is in the first place, followed by Japan.
Stay tuned with H3bet as we keep bringing you everything you need to know about every match of the FIFA World Cup 2022. All the latest highlights and updates at one place!