Analyzing the two teams' way to promotion, Japan's group stage signing luck is good (the same group is not strong), luck is also good, the first opponent Colombia was sent off by a red card, in addition to the group stage 3rd round of Poland's "life-saving and falling foot" is quite controversial, the overall performance is ideal. The third time they hit the quarterfinals, the "Blue Warriors" were against Belgium, a much more formidable opponent than Turkey (2002) and Paraguay (2010).
The "European Red Devils" won all 3 games in the group stage, scored 9 goals, conceded only 2 goals, and almost everyone in the starting lineup is a european powerhouse, with the top offensive combination in Europe: Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, Mertens. After all the round of 16 were produced, the outside world unanimously decided that this was the most suspenseful dialogue in the 1/8 finals.
On the books, that's the case, but the course of the game was full of twists and turns. The reason why this knockout match is attractive is not because of the stars of Belgium, but because of the Japanese team's firm belief in winning the strong with the weak, and the samurai spirit that dares to shine the sword.
As soon as it opened, the Japanese team let the world see the pinnacle of Asian football. In addition to the discomfort of the first few minutes, the Japanese team cut off the Belgian midfield through the pressing of the front field, preventing them from taking advantage of the rapid counterattack and not allowing the speed to be lifted, and Belgium also fell into the trap dug by Japan.
Japan, on the other hand, played very methodically, with fast and flexible shots and skillful team coordination. The team members ran actively and fought fiercely. Short passes are steady, long passes are accurate, and the awareness of the straight ball is excellent. If the height of the body is insufficient, it will play the ground team cooperation; the physical confrontation will suffer losses, and it will use personal skills and quick balls to solve the problem, set up a posture, and face belgium with dignity. They had good opportunities, but they just didn't take advantage of them. At the end of the half, the two teams did not achieve anything.
At the beginning of the second half, the game ushered in the first goal, and the Toei Samurai took the lead: Shibasaki Tookshi in the middle of the field in a straight line, Haraguchi Genki shot into the far corner from the right side of the penalty area, and Japan led 1-0.
Belgium were still on their feet, and Japan's second goal came: in the 51st minute, Shinji Kagawa and Sakashi Kenzo were the most cooperative on the edge of the penalty area, the latter suddenly fired a cold arrow on the perimeter, and the ball hung straight into the dead corner of the net, 2-0.
This long-range shot is very high,Corpus, and courtois whip is beyond reach.
If you had just turned on the TV that night, you might have doubted the score on the screen, but believe that after watching the game for a few minutes, you will feel that the Japanese team's laxity and composure are worthy of these two goals. They weren't at all like they were facing a team that was 10 times more expensive than themselves, and the Japanese were more like the dominant side on the pitch.
But Belgium is the third in the world after all, their team is full of masters of solving difficult problems, and importantly, there is still a lot of time, as long as they wake up, there is still a possibility of reversal.
Coach Roberto Martinez began to dispatch troops: since the ground penetration that did not get rid of the entanglement of Japanese players, it was necessary to change his life with an average height difference of 8 centimeters. Fellaini and Shadley, two "bombers" over 1.9 meters tall, appeared at the same time, and the Japanese team's restricted air supremacy was repeatedly occupied by the red players. Japanese coach Nishino Lang experienced anxiety and expectations that he had never felt in his coaching career: he was excited to force the world's top teams to the last step; he was helpless to limit the opponent's simple and rough offensive routine.
In the face of the Belgian's high-pitched blow, the Japanese team's height and weight were completely crushed. Although the scene is tenacious, it seems extremely tragic. In the confrontation, the overall loss is lost, and although the defense tries its best to fight, there is no way.
In the 68th minute of the first half, Belgian defender No. 5 Vertonghen, who missed his first goal, ushered in his redemption, his header on the left side of the penalty area was hanging, the ball arced a curve and fell into the far corner of the goal, 1-2, Belgium pulled back a city.
Five minutes later, the Japanese anti-aircraft sirens sounded again in the restricted area. Hazard's cross from the left, Fellaini jumped high and broke the goal, 2-2, Belgium equalized!
The game went into the final 10 minutes, when the Japanese team still played its own wind bone, and there was no defensive delay, trying to solve the battle in 90 minutes. Veteran Keisuke Honda, who came off the bench, was active and got multiple chances. In the 83rd minute, Honda Keisuke shot straight from the left side of the penalty area and the ball hit the billboard. Belgian goalkeeper Courtois was in a cold sweat.
Yet the world of football is so cruel. In the 93rd minute, Belgium launched a quick counter-attack, De Bruyne advanced and divided onto the right side, Meunier crossed again, Lukaku deftly missed, Chadley wrapped up and pushed to score, 3-2! Belgium eventually reversed the victory.
Judging from this result alone, it may seem a little regretful, some luck. But if you look at the whole game, you can only say that there are no regrets.
Belgium's height and weight crushed the Japanese team across the board. Like the example given earlier, any header defensive technique is not worth mentioning in front of the height difference of 17 centimeters. Belgium is known as the first team of the Premier League, and most of the players usually play in the Premier League by playing high. The diminutive Japanese team was exhausted again in the confrontation. Belgium's coalition of caucasian whites and black African immigrants was a head-kick spree in the final 20 minutes. Belgium bombed indiscriminately, pulling three goals in a row, is to bully you have no strength, small.
In particular, the Japanese right side was suddenly turned into a sieve in the last 10 minutes, and the right-back Hiroki Sakai was exhausted and was already standing very reluctantly. The Belgian coach watched the game very accurately, and the second substitution Shazli was a special fixed-point blast, and it was Shazli who scored the winning goal in the last minute. The Japanese team was really broken, but in the case of a two-goal lead, not conservative, not dirty, insisting on style, standing dead.
Just talking about football, Japan really deserves respect.
Perhaps years from now, when the next generation looks back at the World Cup, it may feel commonplace to see this score, and even be shocked by Japan's two goals. But only those of us who have experienced it all know what happened that night.
Belgium, which beat Japan, moved on, beating Brazil in the quarter-finals and finishing third (link below).