Japan go through to last 16 on superior disciplinary record

World
Europe

The Samurai Blue were defeated 1-0 by Poland on Thursday night, but still made it through to the World Cup knockout stages thanks to their superior disciplinary record.

In a match played in a 36 degrees Celsius heat, Poland struck first following a dull first 45 minutes. In the 59th minute, midfielder Rafal Kurzawa crossed to an unmarked Jan Bednarek who found the target with a header. Betis winger Takashi Inui came on for Japan two minutes later to add an extra attacking threat.

However, because of Colombia's 1-0 lead over Senegal, the Japanese knew that as things stand, it's them who will advance as the only remaining Asian team. They already eliminated Poland even if the latter won with 1-0.

Consequently, the Japanese had little intention to find an equalizer, much to the despair of the booing crowd. Poland, eliminated after losing two matches, also stood back.

Adam Nawalka explained that his team had adopted a "low-press" for the entire match – rendering the final 10 minutes a non-event which angered many supporters. It all felt a little unsavory and not exactly in keeping with the spirit of the game, prompting loud whistling, with Japan clearly the guiltier party by far, given the score line.