The Importance of Timing, the Art of Discipline and the Power of Humility

Heading into the final group games, it was all to play for in Group E - all four teams still had the possibility of going through. As if that wasn’t suspenseful enough, both games were kicking off at the same time for fair play reasons.

As Germany went head to head with Costa Rica, needing a win to advance into the next round and avoid the embarrassment of 2018 (exiting at the group stage for the first time in their history), Japan faced Spain at the Khalifa International Stadium, the same venue Japan had managed to pull off a great upset with a 2-1 victory over Hansi Flick’s side just over a week ago.

The Spaniards themselves had managed to put seven unanswered goals past Costa Rica in their opener. A statement of some sort. Surely The Samurai Blues couldn’t do it again versus a buoyant & fluid La Furia Roja this time around, could they?