Spain defeated by Japan, the suspicious cookie that infuriates Germany. The Image: “Shame” – Corriere.it

DOHA Going hand in hand, Japan surprisingly first and Spain of wonders, resized, second. A crazy night inside the sci-fi Khalifa International Stadium in which La Roja, until now the most beautiful of the realm, even risks elimination and for a few minutes, in the alternation of results with the other group match, Costa Rica-Germany, slips dramatically to third place. How can the team that mauled Costa Rica in their debut lose against Japan, the Germans will wonder for who knows how long, condemned by this result (“What a shame!” headlines the Bild
). The suspicion of the biscuit, which is always very fashionable during the World Cup, stirs.

But Spain is risking its neck. Too much to want to do someone a favor or spite someone else. The ghostly face of Luis Enrique, after the Japanese one-two, is worth a thousand words. The fact remains that la Roja as second will find Morocco in the round of 16 and not Croatia and in the quarterfinals will avoid Brazil.

But this is above all the night of the blue samurai. Japan is a feat. Like against Germany, he went behind in the first half, but coach Moriyasu transformed his team with two well-chosen changes in the interval. Doan, who had also split the game against the Germans, and Mitoma enter from the bench. The initial and prudent 5-3-2 becomes an unscrupulous 4-3-3. The second half is completely different from the first half. Doan scores the equalizer, Mitoma puts a desperate ball back in the center which Tanaki transforms into an overtaking move that makes the Rising Sun fans cry with joy. The goal is blessed by the Var after a long and spasmodic wait. Spain is no longer able to straighten it out despite Luis Enrique sending almost all the starters onto the pitch, including Asensio in place of Morata, in an attempt to grab the 2-2 with quality dribbling. No way. The Japanese wall holds. Spain has only one real opportunity in the 90th minute, but Dani Olmo pulls softly on Gonda outgoing. When Germany scored their fourth goal, Spain relaxed. He escaped well.

But Luis Enrique will have to question himself in view of the round of 16 against Morocco scheduled for Tuesday at Education City. Beauty is not enough. You need concreteness. Once again, La Roja wins the ball possession contest, reaching 82 percent, but leads the ball badly. The Asturian, thinking about the round of 16, decides that the one against Japan, the third match in nine days, is an opportunity to shed his skin: five new men from the first minute compared to the costly match against Germany. But the philosophy is always the same: youth, possessions, beauty. In the new Spain there are 4 under 21s, Balde and Nico starting for the first time here at the World Cup, while Gavi and Pedri are Luis’ programmatic manifesto.

The first half was entirely in the hands of Spain who, guiltily after Morata’s goal, the third in three games, contented themselves with managing the ball without worrying about closing the accounts. Thus Japan was reborn with an amazing second half in terms of will and intensity and won an iron group in which they started off beaten. The pride of a people. The party is all here. Spain perhaps gains from this defeat, but the fool is colossal.