Japan — Sweden

Imizuzu eyisithupha. Yilokho umehluko phakathi kokuhola kweJapane nokulingana kweJapane — futhi lowo mehluko ungachaza yonke imikhankaso yabo yeNdebe Yomhlaba. Gcina lokho engqondweni. I-AT&T Stadium e-Arlington ibambe umdlalo weQembu F ophele ngo 1:1, futhi isikolo sithembekile ngokwanele — nakuba isithombe se-xG sikutshela ukuthi yiluphi uhlangothi olufanele okuningi. I-Japane yakhiqiza ama-goal alindelekile angu-1.21 kuya ku-0.64 we-Sweden. Ikhwalithi ephindwe kabili engxenyeni yokugcina, kodwa iphuzu eliyingxenye kuphela elibonisiwe. Izinombolo azikho amanga, kodwa ibhola liyathanda ukuqamba amanga. I-Japane ilawule ingxenye yokuqala nge-possession engu-55%, idlala inhlanganisela esheshayo eqondile futhi icindezela i-Sweden ibhola ngalowo mandla angapheli i-Samurai Blue eyenze uphawu lwayo. U-Ao Tanaka ubengumshini waphakathi nendawo — olinganiselwe ku-7.67 — eqondisa isivinini futhi egcina isakhiwo siqinile. I-Sweden, ngaleso sikhathi, yanika u-Isak Hien ikhadi eliphuzi ngomzuzu wama-32 futhi ngobuhlakani yamkhipha ngemuva kwemizuzu emihlanu ngaphambi kokuba isimo sibe sibi kakhulu. Siyabonga kubhentshi laseSweden ngokufunda lokho kusenesikhathi. Ingxenye yesibili ilethe idrama. U-Daizen Maeda — ohlale eyingozi ngokugijima okunamandla ngemuva — uphule ukulingana ngomzuzu wama-56. I-Japane ibukeka isilungele ukuphumelela okuthile okubalulekile. Bese, ngemuva kwemizuzu eyisithupha, u-Anthony Elanga wajezisa iphutha lesikhashana ekuhlelekeni kokuvikela kweJapane futhi walungisa ku-1:1. Amashothi angu-11 e-Sweden ane-xG engu-0.64 kuphela akutshela ukuthi leyo mizamo ibingacacile — kodwa lelo lashaya. Nakhu lapho uhlangothi ngalunye lwazilimaza khona. I-Japane yaphuthelwa yithuba elikhulu lokuphinda kabili umkhondo ngaphambi kokuba i-Sweden ikwazi ukuphendula — ukungabaza okubulalayo. Amakhona ayisishiyagalombili e-Sweden akhiqiza cishe lutho, futhi ukunemba kwabo kwe-pass okungu-79% kwabashiya behlukene kakhulu ukuze basongele ngempela. U-Viktor Gyökeres uthole ikhadi eliphuzi ngomzuzu wama-85 — ukukhungatheka kubonakala, i-Sweden ifuna umnqobi abangakwazi ukuwudala. Ukushintshwa okuphindwe kathathu kweJapane sekwephuzile, okuhlanganisa no-Yuto Nagatomo onolwazi, kuphakamise ukushintshela ekuvikeleni iphuzu. Ukuphatha okuhlakaniphile noma ukuqapha okweqile? Impikiswano enengqondo. I-xG ithi i-Japane ibingcono. Ibhodi lesikolo lithi akukho uhlangothi olwalungcono ngempela. Lowo mehluko phakathi kokufaneleka nokuzuza yinkondlo enonya yesigaba samaqembu. Ku-FootLegion, wonke ama-goal isizwe sakho esiwashayayo ahlala eyakho phakade — akekho okuthatha lokho. Ingabe i-Japane yahlala ngokushesha kakhulu ngokulingana, noma iphuzu lazuza ngendlela efanele? Futhi ingabe ukungakwazi kwe-Sweden ukudala amathuba angempela kukukhathaza njengoba niqhubekela phambili kuQembu F?