Category: Japan

Hajime Moriyasu's Japan put in a valiant performance against Croatia in their last 16 clash but they were undone on penalties despite Daizen Maeda's opener

Japan Player Ratings vs Croatia: Maeda Goal in Vain as Japan Exit Qatar

Croatia, Japan, Player Ratings, Serie A, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Hajime Moriyasu's Japan put in a valiant performance against Croatia in their last 16 clash but they were undone on penalties despite Daizen Maeda's opener. Maeda deservedly put Japan ahead in the first half as they dreamt of reaching their first-ever quarter-finals at the World Cup but an equaliser from Ivan Perisic levelled the scores in the second half. So, here's our Japan player ratings for their defeat against Croatia. 
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Croatia made it through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup after defeating Japan on penalties thanks to three penalty saves by Dominik Livakovic

Croatia Player Ratings vs Japan: Penalty Hero Livakovic Wins Last 16 Tie

Croatia, Japan, Player Ratings, Serie A, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Croatia made it through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup after defeating Japan on penalties in a close last 16 encounter thanks to three penalty saves by Dominik Livakovic. The scores were tied at 1-1 through 120 minutes but Japan couldn't hold their nerve in the shootout as they suffered defeat, scoring just one out of their four penalties in Al Wakrah. Six out of the last seven knockout games for Croatia at both the Euros and World Cup have reached extra time and they found success once more here in a tough battle against an impressive Japan side. So, here's our Croatia player ratings for their narrow victory over Japan.
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Argentina eked out a precious 2-0 win over Mexico in the second round of the 2022 World Cup Group C to bolster their hopes of reaching the knockouts

Full Predictions for World Cup Round of 16: Who Will Reach the Quarters?

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, France, Japan, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Serie A, Spain, Switzerland, U.S.A., World Cup, World Cup 2022
Despite some unexpected results, the majority of the big boys managed to secure qualification, with Germany and Belgium being the exceptions after bowing out from the group stage. Even though the results have been unpredictable, we'll try to figure out those will reach the quarter finals in our predictions for the Round of 16 fixtures. 
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Despite dominating the first half, Spain conceded two second-half goals, losing 1-2. Carvajal's entrance left the backline weakened, which Japan exploited

Spain Player Ratings vs Japan: Carvajal Struggles in Substitute Appearance

Japan, Player Ratings, Qatar, Serie A, Serie A 2022-2023, Spain, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Despite dominating the first half, Spain conceded two second-half goals to Japan, losing 1-2. Dani Carvajal's surprising entrance at halftime left the backline weakened, which the underdogs quickly exploited. The story of the match was Spain's inability to turn its crushing possession into goals, as it managed just five shots on target.
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Germany have now lost their opening match at the World Cup for a second successive tournament after they were defeated 2-1 by Japan in Group E

Germany Player Ratings vs Japan: Surprise Loss in Group Opener

Germany, Japan, Player Ratings, Serie A, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Germany have now lost their opening match at the World Cup for a second successive tournament after they were defeated 2-1 by Japan in the opening match of Group E at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. They led a protest at the start of the game for human rights, with the team photoed covering their mouths after FIFA stopped them and other nations to wear the 'OneLove' armband. The Germans had plenty of chances to win the match in the second half but didn't take them, allowing Japan to get back into the match. So, here's our Germany player ratings following their shock loss to Japan. 
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