Japan lost to Costa Rica and the players apologized to the fans.

The debut of the Japanese national team in the Qatar 2022 World Cup was surprising, as they came from behind and defeated Germany (2-1). For the second match of Group E, the Asian team had the opportunity to take an important step towards qualifying for the round of 16, but they couldn't take advantage of it: they lost 1-0 to Costa Rica.

The recent performance of the Japanese team was solid collectively, with dominance and goal-scoring opportunities, but there was no precision and only one carelessness was enough to come out empty-handed. Keysher Fuller Spence's goal for the 'Ticos' came in the 81st minute, and coach Hajime Moriyasu could not reverse the history anymore.

After the final whistle at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, the players of the Japanese national team did not hide their sadness: some kneeled on the field and others looked at the sky, trying to find an explanation. However, despite the defeat, the team never stopped receiving the support of the fans.

Precisely, due to the poor performance, the team captained by Maya Yoshida decided to apologize to the fans: all the players positioned themselves in front of one of the stands of the sports venue and made a gesture of reverence. At the same time, the fans responded with applause.

It should be noted that with the defeat, the Japanese national team remains with three points and stays in second place in Group E, while Costa Rica has the same amount of points and is third, due to a worse goal difference. On the other hand, Spain, the leader, also has a similar score, but still has to face Germany (without points) this Sunday.

When does Japan vs. Spain play?

The Japan vs. Spain match will be played on Thursday, December 1st, at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, for the third match of Group E of the Qatar 2022 World Cup (2:00 p.m. Peruvian time). The Japanese team will have the obligation to win in order to advance to the round of 16, although they will depend on what Germany does (they will face the 'Roja' and Costa Rica).