Trapped by 7-0 by Spain in the first round, Costa Rica won survival in the World Cup in Qatar. This Sunday (27), at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, in Al Rayyan, the Ticos scored 1-0 in Japan, which came from a historic 2-1 victory over four-time world champions Germany. 
The two teams have three points in Group E, as do Spain, who lead the group on goal difference. By the same criteria, the Blue Samurais are in second place, ahead of the Central American team. Still this Saturday, at 4 pm (Brasília time), Spaniards and Germans (who are at zero) face each other at Al Bayt Stadium, in Al Khor.
With chances of qualifying, the two teams end their participation in the group stage on Thursday (1st), at 4 pm. Japan take on Spain at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, while Costa Rica will take on Germany at Al Bayt.
sleepy first time
The motto of someone who “doesn’t move on a team that wins” did not apply to Hajime Moriyasu. The Japanese coach made five changes to the formation that started the game against Germany, with four of the players who entered the team not playing in the first round. Full-back Miki Yamane, midfielder Hidemasa Morita, midfielder Yuki Soma and striker Ayase Ueda replaced, respectively, Hiroki Sakai, Ao Tanaka, Junya Ito and Daizen Maeda. Scorer of one of the goals in the previous round, Ritsu Doan was also in the starting line-up this Saturday, replacing Takefusa Kubo.
In Costa Rica, curiously, coach Luís Fernando Suárez made only two changes to the team beaten by Spain. Full-back Kendall Watson and midfielder Gerson Torres came on to replace Carlos Martínez and Jewison Bennette.
The first stage was sleepy. Despite being greatly modified, Japan commanded the offensive actions, mainly looking for the sides of the field, but with difficulties in the last pass. The most dangerous move was a low cross by Doan, from the right of the area, which no one appeared to complete. Costa Rica concentrated on marking the Japanese momentum and rehearsed few rises to the attack. In one of them, Anthony Contreras caught the leftover of a ball cut by the defense and rolled for fellow striker Joel Campbell to hit with three fingers, from the edge of the area, over the goal.
Ticos punish Japanese mistakes
The second half needed just a minute to be different, with Takuma Asano, scorer of the winning goal against Germany, coming on for Ueda. In the first touch of the ball, with his heel, the attacker left Morita free in the area to finish, which was saved by goalkeeper Keylor Navas. At 11, it was Soma’s turn to startle, sewing the marking on the left, entering the area and kicking cross, without direction, to the left of the goal.
The Japanese were gradually launching themselves more to the attack, with the entrances of the attacking midfielder Kaoru Mitoma and the attacker Junya Ito, cornering the Costa Ricans and forcing them to park two lines of four in the last third of the field. The Asian team, however, made a lot of mistakes in the decision-making process and ended up being punished. In the 35th minute, the Japanese defense barely cleared the launch that came from the defense and the ball was left with midfielder Yeltsin Tejeda, at the entrance to the area. He rolled to midfielder Keysher Fuller, who tapped in and put the Ticos ahead.
In the final stretch of the match, Japan turned the ball around in search of spaces to, at least, try to draw Al Rayyan. At the best opportunity, in the 42nd minute, Mitoma lined up on the left and crossed low. Amidst the backlash, Navas saved Costa Rica in the reflex and kept the team alive in the Qatar Cup.
