Japan fans clean the stadium again after their football team’s defeat Germany 2-1 In their first match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The same happened after the opening game of the World Cup between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday (20 November) as Japanese fans decided to stay back after the match to help clean the stands. The video went viral where the Japanese fans were seen clearing the stands and they were at it again, winning millions of hearts from people across the world.
Check out the reactions here…
After their incredible shock victory against Germany, Japan fans stayed after the match to clean up the stadium.
Immense respect. pic.twitter.com/jvOrAqVNIq– Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) November 23, 2022
After shock upset win over Germany, Japan fans stay to clean stadium pic.twitter.com/NiPg1tlldV— Ian Bremmer (@ianbremmer) November 23, 2022
Japan fans really are the best.
They beat Germany in a famous victory, but before celebrating they stuck around to help clean up the Khalifa International Stadium pic.twitter.com/sZhNExEDqi— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) November 23, 2022
Coming to the clash, another World Cup day, another World Cup setback. Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late on Wednesday to give Japan a 2-1 World Cup victory over Germany. Doan and Asano both play for German clubs.
Ilkay Gundogan gave four-time champions Germany the lead with a penalty in the first half. But Doan, who plays for Freiburg, equalized in the 76th minute after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked a shot from Takumi Minamino. Then Asano, who plays for Bochum, sprinted clear of Nico Schlotterbeck and beat Neuer from a narrow angle in the 83rd minute of the first competitive meeting between the two countries.
The match was played a day after Argentina’s 2–1 upset defeat to Saudi Arabia. Ahead of Wednesday’s game, Germany players covered their faces during team photos in an apparent rebuke to FIFA following its decision to halt plans to wear armbands to protest discrimination in host country Qatar.
Germany’s Sports Minister Nancy Feiser attended the match at the Khalifa International Stadium and sat beside FIFA President Gianni Infantino wearing the same Vanlove armband that FIFA had outlawed with threats of consequences.
It was only the third time Germany had lost their tournament-opening game, following losses against Algeria in 1982 and Mexico in 2018. In other World Cup openers for Germany, the team had won 13 matches and drawn four.
Germany outplayed Japan for most of the match with 24 attempts on goal, compared to Japan’s 11. Despite being awarded a penalty, Japan’s goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda made several saves.
Germany next face Spain on Sunday, while Japan face Costa Rica. Germany’s production was filled with protests and political statements due to Qatar’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers and members of the LGBTQ community.
Germany were playing at the World Cup for the first time since a shocking group-stage exit in 2018 as defending champions, while Japan are appearing in their seventh straight World Cup and seeking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Is. (With PTI inputs)