Highest goal in World Cup qualifying meant for Japan

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Highest goal in World Cup qualifying meant for Japan

The Ahmad bin Ali Stadium exploded when Keysher Fuller's 14 yard strike proved too high for goalkeeper Sh ichi Gonda for two reasons. Those of a Costa Rica persuasion were delighted to see not only the winner of this encounter but also their first shot on target of Qatar 2022, after Luis Fernando Surez's men had drawn a blank in their 7 -- 0 drubbing by Spain.

Hidemasa Morita was Japan's first culprit, gifting the ball to Yeltsin Tejeda who found Fuller, but Gonda was the second Samurai Blue man to blame as he was too flatfooted.

In a late flurry, Japan appealed for a penalty for a Bryan Oviedo handball after Daichi Kamada shot but to no avail. When Germany play Spain this evening, they may be the only team with zero points in Group E but this result is a great help as they are to face Costa Rica last. Japan has to regroup after their seismic victory over Germany, as this was a static affair following the false dawns of a bright opening that had begun when Morita and Yuki Soma claimed a corner between them. The latter swung this in, Ayase Ueda missed the header and a shaky Costa Rica escaped.

More encouraging for Costa Rica was a burst from the 120-cap Joel Campbell who earned a free-kick, though Celso Borges's delivery was easily plucked from the air by Gonda, Japan s man of the match in the win against Germany.

Japan gave Costa Rica another fright when Ritsu Doan, whose equaliser against Hansi Flick s side earned him a starter's shirt, flashed the ball across Keylor Navas'goal, but no teammate was present.

The quality was flat from here in a stodgy midfield standoff. As illustrated by the 0 - 0 shots-on-target count at the interval, neither team was able to seize the initiative.

These were flaccid efforts when Francisco Calvo and Campbell took aim. It fell into the small mercies department that there was only a minute of time added by the referee, Michael Oliver, in the first half.

Japan manager, Hajime Moriyasu, decided that Yuto Nagatomo and Ueda had contributed enough, removing them ahead of the second half for Hiroki Ito and Takuma Asano, the latter of whom scored the memorable goal that downed Germany.

Twenty-seven seconds in and an actual shot saved by Navas were saved: Morita was the player who finally found the target and the memory was revived of how good Japan were after half-time against Flick's team.

His nation might not enjoy being any better, because of the manner of a Campbell dribble in which he engineered a path straight out of touch with scant pressure on him. The former Arsenal forward's next entry into the contest ledger was to balloon a 40-yard diagonal free-kick out and Soma did the same from the edge of the Costa Rican area when Wataru Endo was fouled.

Moments later, Calvo yanked Junya Ito in a near-identical spot, just on as a substitute, and this time Kamada was the wasteful one, hammering the dead ball right into the wall.

Next came Fuller's decisive intervention but this was no match to remember.