Doha / Stockholm. Victory over Germany and Spain.
After an unexpected group win, the Round of 16 now awaits Japan.
– It feels surreal, says a happy Japanese supporter.
Underdog against Germany. Underdog against Spain. Despite this, Japan managed to turn around and beat both major nations. With resounding victories, the Japanese have now sensationally managed to win Group E in the WC.
When the match between Japan and Spain was called off by the referee, scenes of unbridled joy unfolded – both on and off the field.
We lost at home to Turkey in 2002. In Germany in 2006 we lost to Australia. In South Africa in 2010, we had a traffic accident before the tournament. In Brazil 2014 we lost to Ivory Coast. 2018 traveled to Senegal and lost to Poland. In 2022 we lost to Costa Rica, said a Japanese fan before shouting:
– But we won against Spain!
The captain of the national team praises the fans
National team captain Hajime Moriyasu believes the fans were of great importance to Japan’s brawl.
– Players played hard, enthusiastic and powerful, and fought with confidence. I’m proud of the way we fought until the final whistle as a team. Thanks to the fans, both in the stadium and at home in Japan, we were able to win this match,” said Soccer King, adding:
– This was a victory we won together.
“All Japan is proud”
Now Croatia is waiting for the qualifiers. This will be the fourth time in World Cup history that Japan has qualified for the Round of 16.
– It’s a surreal feeling, I’m so happy. Another happy Japanese fan says that all of Japan is proud of the team.
For Spain, the round of 16 awaits against Morocco. At the same time, Germany was left out of the water cycle.