Germany Vs. Japan 1-2: In the first game of Group E at the 2022 World Cup, Japan came back from being down a goal to beat Germany for the first time ever. It was a well-deserved victory.
Japan started off better than Germany, with more energy, heart, and a desire to rush any German player with the ball. They even put the ball in the goal early. Ilkay Gundogan lost control of the ball near the halfway line, and Junya Ito sent a cross that Daizen Maeda headed in.
The Celtic forward, on the other hand, badly mistimed his run when he didn’t have to, so the goal was taken away from him. After the first 15 minutes, Japan’s pressing started to slow down, and a nervous German team started to take control of the game, mostly by playing into and through 19-year-old Jamal Musiala’s amazing feet.
Hansi Flick’s team took the lead just after 30 minutes. Dangerous wing-back David Raum ran free into the Japan penalty area and collected a perfectly-weighted lofted ball from Joshua Kimmich. Shuichi Gonda, the goalkeeper for Japan, was clumsy and came out of his goal twice to challenge. This was enough for referee Ivan Barton to point to the spot, and VAR confirmed the decision.
Gundogan of Manchester City, who otherwise had a tumultuous opening, had sufficient composure to put the penalty in the center of the goal. It could have been more if Gundogan hadn’t been so selfish and shot instead of passing to Raum earlier in the game, or if Kai Havertz, who struggled to lead the German line with any kind of authority, hadn’t checked himself back onside to tap in an empty net.
After rushing forward from right back, Niklas Sule’s feet were surprisingly quick, allowing him to find Thomas Muller on the right side of the German team. He badly misjudged the cross, but when Japan failed to clear the ball, Serge Gnabry was able to pass the ball across the box to Havertz because he was too eager.
After a long VAR check that was completely unnecessary, Japan went up the other end and almost tied the game. Nagatomo had room and whipped in a dangerous cross, but poor Maeda went the wrong way.
At halftime, Arsenal’s versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu joined the game to stop Raum’s dangerous runs in between the lines. Hajime Moriyasu switched to a back five with wing-backs, which meant that Takefusa Kubo had to leave the team. Within two minutes of the restart, Gnabry hit the post with a shot from a tight angle, showing that the change didn’t have much of an effect.
Soon after that, Musiala danced past a few Japanese defenders in the penalty area, but he ended up shooting wide. If he had kept his head over the ball, it would have been one of the greatest World Cup goals ever. On the hour, the Bayern Munich wonderkid was at it again. He moved infield to set up Gundogan, who missed another chance for Germany by hitting the post with a side-footed shot.
From then on, it seemed more like a matter of when than if Germany would find a second goal to end the game. After the pace of the game slowed down because of substitutions, Gnabry had a header saved by Gonda, who also bravely blocked the follow-up.
Then, all of a sudden, Japan got their best chance when Ito ran into the box without being seen and caught a beautiful dink from Wataru Endo on his chest. Rudiger came back for a last-ditch challenge, but all he did was deflect Ito’s shot to the other side of the goal.
Manuel Neuer made a miraculous save, and when the ball fell to Sakai with the goal gaping, he couldn’t keep his cool. The right back smashed his shot over the goal, put his head in his hands, and was almost immediately replaced.
If that was a warning, Germany didn’t pay attention, and a few minutes later, Japan tied the game. Neuer stopped another shot, this one from Takumi Minamino, but it still went to a blue shirt. This time, though, it was Freiburg winger Ritsu Doan, who, like Minamino, had just come on as a substitute and scored.
After that, Japan’s coach’s bravery paid off, and the team looked more energised. So much so that they went ahead in the 83rd minute for no reason at all.
Ko Itakura took a hopeful free kick up the field, and substitute Takuma Asano brought it down, stepped over Nico Schlotterbeck, and shot right through Neuer into the roof of the net. Niklas Sule was too far out to the right, Schlotterbeck was too weak in the challenge, and Neuer was too slow to react or even raise his arms to stop the shot.
The life was sucked out of Germany. From then on, Japan’s faith was unbreakable. In the last few minutes, all the Germans could do was hit a long ball and a half-volley by Leon Goretzka that went wide, while Japan held on for a huge win.
In the 95th minute of the game, Doan summed up the team’s spirit with a hard tackle on Schlotterbeck and a full-out sprint to Neuer.
Japan vs Germany player ratings
Germany (4-2-3-1)
GK: Manuel Neuer – 4/10 – Ito’s deflected shot was stopped by a great save, but he could have done better for both goals.
RB: Niklas Sule – 3/10 – Doesn’t look as though he’s comfortable at fullback, and he doesn’t offer much going forward. Japan’s winning goal was way too far away.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – 6/10 – Solid all the way through and dealt well with a number of Japanese breaks. From such a corner, he put a header just wide in the first half.
CB: Nico Schlotterbeck – 3/10 – The Borussia Dortmund center-back had a really bad game. He was too careless with the ball and too weak and slow when he didn’t have it.
LB: David Raum – 7/10 – Especially in the first half, he was always a threat on the left side. He worked well with Musiala and won the penalty for Germany.
CM: Joshua Kimmich (6/10): Played a beautiful floater to Raum for the penalty, but was quiet otherwise. As always, neat and tidy.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan, 7/10. He lost the ball for Japan’s first goal, which was scored offside, but he was very active and had several good chances to score from open play, but he couldn’t finish. Made the goal from the spot, and after he left the field, Germany looked a lot worse.
Serge Gnabry got 5/10 for his touches and passes from the right side, but he should have passed to Muller instead of shooting in the second half.
AM: Thomas Muller, April 10, Had a quiet game and didn’t do anything good when he had the chance to cross the ball into the box. Best years, look at him from behind.
Jamal Musiala got an 8/10 because he was Germany’s main source of offence. He was dangerous between the lines and made a lot of smart passes and touches for his teammates. After he was replaced, he wasn’t much of a threat.
CF: Kai Havertz – 5/10 – At the end of the first half, they had a goal taken away. tries hard to be the main player on this Germany team.
Leon Goretzka came on in place of Ilkay Gundogan in the 67th minute.
Jonas Hofmann (for Thomas Muller in the 67th minute) – 4/10 – not much of an effect.
SUB: Niklas Fullkrug (78′ for Kai Havertz) – N/A
Mario Gotze came in for Jamal Musiala in the 78th minute.
Youssoufa Moukoko came on for Serge Gnabry in the 89th minute.
Manager: Hansi Flick – 3/10 – Did not match Japan’s energy after the leveller. Putting Gundogan and Musiala in place of each other was a terrible idea.
Japan (4-2-3-1)
GK: Shuichi Gonda – 7/10 – It was rash and careless for Germany to foul Raum, possibly twice, for a penalty. In the second half, he made a great double save on Serge Gnabry.
RB: Hiroki Sakai got too much work on the right side and struggled. Raum’s run into the box was completely missed, and that was a big chance to tie the game.
Ko Itakura is calm with the ball and tough when he doesn’t have it.
Maya Yoshida, the centre back, got a 7/10. She stopped Gundogan from scoring in the first half and made some important clearances.
Yuto Nagatomo, left back, got 5/10. He sent a dangerous cross to Maeda in the first half, but Japan got better when they switched out both fullbacks.
CM: Ao Tanaka – 7/10 – Lots of great tackles in the middle of the field with Endo. Tireless.
CM: Wataru Endo, 8/10. He did a good job of breaking up Germany’s play by snapping at Gundogan and Kimmich whenever he could and helping to double up on Musiala. Always determined and devoted.
RM: Junya Ito got 7/10. He made a great cross for Maeda’s disallowed goal in the first few minutes, and he was always a threat.
AM: Daichi Kamada – 5/10 – The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder had a quiet game.
LM: Takefusa Kubo got a 5/10. He worked hard but didn’t have much of the ball. At halftime, when Japan changed their system, he was killed.
CF: Daizan Maeda got an offside call that ruined Japan’s first game. With the last kick of the first half, it went wide.
Takehiro Tomiyasu came on for Takefusa Kubo in the 46th minute and did a good job at centre back.
SUB: Takuma Asano (57′ for Daizen Maeda) – 9/10 – Bright as soon as he came on, and his risky moves helped to turn the game on its head. Japan fans will be in raptures after a glorious win.
Karou Mitoma took the place of Yuto Nagatomo in the 57th minute. He got a 6/10 and helped turn the game around.
Ritsu Doan took the place of Ao Tanaka in the 71st minute. He got the equaliser and ran himself ragged.
SUB: Takumi Minamino (74′ for Hiroki Sakai) – N/A
Manager: Hajime Moriyasu – 9/10 – He set up his team to play on the counter, but he did something when his team was down by a goal at halftime. Moriyasu’s replacements were very good.
Takuma Asano was the best player in the game (Japan)
