Whenever stories are told about the presence of the Japanese in the World Cup, it is usually to set examples of good manners in football (and in society). The Japanese apply ethical principles even in an environment where emotion is often used to justify insanity and reprehensible behavior., demonstrating that, wherever you are, there are principles that do not need to be pointed out in order to always be present. Since they don’t have the unprecedented reach to the quarterfinals, at least Japan leaves a mark of civility in Qatar.
Inside the field, in a clear clash of styles, the story was different. Japanese players handle the ball with the same delicacy as someone who eats with two chopsticks. If the task of sitting down at a table and sampling Japanese cuisine using traditional utensils isn’t for everyone, Japanese-style ball control isn’t for everyone either. The Croats, on the other hand, play more in the style of those who eat with a serrated knife and fork, such is the aggressiveness they apply in matches. The law of force was the first to prevail.
Pressing, Perisic (8′) forced a mistake from Tomiyasu and gave Croatia the first chance of the match. The winger had time to choose where to shoot, but Gonda objected. A period of Croatian rule followed. Until the Japanese emotionally stabilized, the Croats were on top. The answer that served as a sign that the Japanese were already more uninhibited, came from Kamada (41′) who shot from above, but all the credit for the way in which Wataru Endo left his colleague from Eintracht Frankfurt in front of the goal. As in everything they do, the method, rigor and work of the Japanese have paid off. From the laboratory of coach Hajime Moriyasu came the design of the goal that, on the field, the players modeled to perfection. A short corner kick that ended with the ball inside the area was barely cleared by the Croatian defence. daizen maeda (43′) was attentive and scored.
The dynamics of the triangle in the Croatian midfield, formed by Brozovic, Kovacic and Modric, he was not accompanied by the men from the front. The three midfielders multiplied their movements to receive the ball, acting in a constant merry-go-round that was very difficult to counter. Even so, the impulse did not reach the men in front. Curiously, it was in a play without the intervention of the men in the middle zone that Croatia reached the tie. Lovren, from the defensive zone, resorted to a long ball that reached the head of parasitic (55′) and finished off on goal. Later, with the ball away from both goals, it was from afar that the attempts to undo the equality continued. Endo (58′) on one side and Modric (63′) on the other forced the goalkeepers to fly.
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Source: Observadora
