Defeats leave subs Trossard and Mitoma on World Cup brink
Another gameday in Qatar, another set of disappointing results for nations who don’t start their Brighton players. Kaoru Mitoma and Leandro Trossard were on the bench as Japan and Belgium suffered defeats which leave them on the brink of elimination from the World Cup.
Mitoma only being named amongst the substitutes as Japan were beaten 1-0 by Costa Rica came as something of a surprise.
The flying winger had been introduced when the Samurai Blue were trailing 1-0 to Germany in their first game, playing a huge part in the turnaround which saw Japan come from behind to win 2-1.
That put Japan in a really strong position in Group E. Victory over Costa Rica would have secured a place in the round of 16; a Costa Rica side who were hammered 7-0 by Spain four days earlier.
This World Cup however is constantly throwing up shock results. Japan spent most of the 90 minutes frustrated by a dogged Costa Rica defence, providing the foundation for a smash-and-grab 1-0 win via an 81st minute goal from Keysher Fuller.
What made Mitoma sitting on the bench particularly strange was that Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu made five changes from the victory over Germany.
The Samurai Blue were clearly not adverse to rotation and yet Mitoma had to wait until the 62nd minute to enter proceedings.
In the 30 minutes he was on the pitch, Mitoma looked the most likely Japan player to unlock the Costa Rican back line. He embarked on a couple of driving runs down the left followed by cutbacks into the area.
One such moment created the best chance Japan had. A Daichi Kamada shot from Mitoma’s low cross was blocked, sparking a goalmouth scramble eventually ended when Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas gratefully grabbed the ball.
That opportunity came seven minutes after Fuller struck. It was a goal Japan ‘keeper Shuichi Gonda is unlikely to want to watch back anytime soon.
The Samurai Blue remain second in Group E but their final match against Spain has now become much more important.
A Germany win over Costa Rica by two clear goals would mean Japan have to defeat Robert Sanchez and co to progress.
It would be easy to sit here and say their chances of doing so will be improved if Moriyasu starts Mitoma, but everyone thought that to be the case against Costa Rica.
Mitoma and Japan losing to Costa Rica might have been something of a World Cup shock, but it still paled into comparison with the upset Trossard and Belgium faced at the hands of Morocco.
It finished 2-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium with both Morocco goals coming in the final 17 minutes. Trossard played for only the final 15.
The Vampire of Genk has been hailed as the most in-form Belgian player coming into the tournament, and yet Roberto Martinez appears to think it is still 2018 and Eden Hazard is the best player in the world.
Martinez’s faith in the likes of Hazard and his brother Thorgan is making Belgium resemble England at the 2010 World Cup; a golden generation of players looking a shadow of their former self, knowing that their best opportunity to become world champions had been four years earlier.
Belgium had a lot of possession but did nothing with it – a familiar feeling for Trossard no doubt, and maybe a timely reminder of what it can be like playing under Glow Up Graham should Potter and Chelsea make a move for him in January.
Morocco as a result grew in confidence as the tie went on. They took the lead on 73 minutes when a free kick from Abdelhamid Sabir caught Thibaut Courtois asleep at the near post.
Going behind belatedly led Martinez to introduce Trossard. The momentum was well and truly with Morocco however, and they completed a famous win when Zakaria Aboukhlal fired a Hakim Ziyech cross into the back of the net in injury time.
To reach the last 16, Belgium will now need to beat 2018 runners up Croatia in their final Group F fixture. Good luck with that – especially if Trossard once again remains on the bench.
