Qatar World Cup 2022, GER vs JPN: Awe-inspiring 5 moments as Japan breaks German hearts

By Ayush Gupta | First Published Nov 23, 2022, 8:51 PM IST

Qatar World Cup 2022: Germany and Japan were locked in a highly competitive encounter, again asserting that no team is weak in this WC. As the Japanese upset the Germans 2-1, here are the five awe-inspiring five moments.

As far as the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has turned out, it is the most unpredictable edition ever, with the opening games producing many shockers. On Wednesday, former four-time winner Germany went head-on against Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. While the former was an absolute favourite to see this through, the latter had other plans. Despite Ilkay Gündogan's 33rd-minute penalty putting the Germans ahead, Ritsu Doan (75) and Takuma Asano (83) allowed the Japanese to bounce back and stun the National Eleven 2-1. On the same note, we present the five awe-inspiring moments from this fascinating encounter.

Why were Germans covering their mouths?
Before the match started, the German players were seen covering their mouths during a team photo session. It was signified as an alternative to the 'OneLove' movement to showcase support for homosexuality, which is illegal in Qatar. The teams are being disallowed from wearing the rainbow armband, which was supposed to promote support for the cause.

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Foolish penalty conceded by Japan
The Germans put their noses ahead, thanks to a penalty successfully taken by Gündogan. However, it was one of the most foolish penalties ever conceded, as the Japanese goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda tackled David Raum inside the box from the back, literally bringing him down on a couple of instances, forcing the referee to point to the spot undoubtedly.

Gonda impresses with his keeping
Nevertheless, Gonda did a terrific job since conceding the penalty, denying the National Eleven nearly four promising chances. It played a pivotal role leading to Japan's comeback with two winning goals.

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Missed chances galore
Although the game saw three goals, there were numerous missed chances. While Germany had about five promising possibilities missed, Japan had three. Also, National Eleven came up with 26 attempts, compared to Samurai Blue's 12.

Japan's resilience and comeback stun all
The ultimate moment of the contest was indeed Japan's comeback, as it displayed mouth-watering resilience against a reluctant Germany, with Doan and Asano churning out the two winning goals in every way possible, making the supporters from the land of the rising sun go gaga. The Samurai Blue converted a couple of the three big chances it created, which proved decisive.

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