World Cup day four highlights: Japan show class on and off pitch as Spain lay down marker

Another big shock as Germany fell to Japan while Spain made no mistake against Costa Rica

Japan's Maya Yoshida and Kou Itakura after their win over Germany during the World Cup at Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Reuters

Japan players celebrate their win over Germany at the Khalifa International Stadium. Getty

Takuma Asano scores Japan's winner against Germany. Getty

Takehiro Tomiyasu, left, and Kaoru Mitoma after Japan's famous win. Getty

Japan's goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda at Khalifa International Stadium. EPA

Nico Schlotterbeck of Germany looks on. Getty

Japan's Ritsu Doan celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. AP

Ilkay Guendogan, centre, scored for Germany. EPA

Following Saudi Arabia's seismic result against Argentina on Tuesday, the shocks continued on Wednesday, while Spain laid down a marker and Canada proved they belong.

Here are the main talking points from the fourth day of the 2022 World Cup.

Japan show class on and off the pitch

Perhaps it wasn't quite as earth-shattering as Saudi Arabia's win over Argentina, but Japan kept the shocks coming in Qatar by coming from behind to beat Germany 2-1 and provide another boost for Asian football.

There were some curious similarities between both results, too: Saudi and Japan both went behind to first-half penalties before striking two quick goals in the second half to secure famous victories.

Like Saudi, Japan have been a perennial powerhouse of Asian football for quite some time, qualifying for each of the past seven World Cups and three times advancing from the group, although they are yet to reach the quarter-finals.

Drawn in a tough Group E which also includes a Spain side clearly in the mood (more on them in just a moment), Japan have given themselves a great chance of another knockout appearance. Beat a hapless looking Costa Rica in their next game and if Germany fail to beat Spain, then Japan are through with a game to spare.

After proving their quality on the pitch, Japan then showed their class off it. Photos emerged of an immaculate changing room after the squad had left, while the fans continued one of the best traditions in football by staying behind and helping to collect litter around the stadium.

Given their impact on the World Cup so far, few neutrals will be rooting against Japan to have a good tournament.

Japan fans help clear litter from the stands at Khalifa International Stadium. Getty

Spain lay down a marker

During the pre-tournament predictions forecasting which nation would win the World Cup, Spain were not even in the conversation. Brazil and Argentina, sure. There were solid arguments for England, Portugal, Germany and France, too, even with the latter's injury crisis. But Spain? Forget it. They don't even have a world class striker and their form has been too patchy.

Yet, Spain's performance against Costa Rica on Wednesday, a 7-0 decimation at Al Thumama Stadium, showed Luis Enrique and his players mean business. Admittedly, Costa Rica were shambolic but Spain were superb, combining their clinical finishing with a passing game that left their opponents chasing shadows.

In Barcelona trio Pedri, Gavi, and Sergio Busquets, Spain have one of the finest midfields in the competition, they have a talented and tricky attack with the likes of Marco Asensio, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, and have sneaky strength in depth: among their substitutes on Wednesday were Ansu Fati, Koke, Alvaro Morata, and Carlos Soler.

Bigger tests than Costa Rica await Spain - none more so than Germany in their next group game - but so far so good for La Roja.

SPAIN RATINGS: Unai Simon - 7. Had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do as Costa Rica didn’t have a single shot on goal. That hasn’t happened since a game between Brazil and Costa Rica in 1990. And that was the first time since 1966 that a team didn’t have a shot on goal. In contrast, Spain had 15. Getty

Jordi Alba - 9. As advanced as he plays for Barcelona, his quick ball to Asensio set up the second. Fouled for Spain’s penalty which led to the third. In and out for Barcelona this season, he’s likely to be a mainstay for as long as Spain stay in the finals. Getty

Aymeric Laporte - 8. Completed more passes in the first half than the entire Costa Rica team put together. Getty

Rodri - 7. Played as a central defender rather than a defensive midfielder. As easy as it will get for him at international level as Spain completed over 1,000 passes in the match. AFP

Cesar Azpilicueta - 7. More key passes forward for any defender. Unchallenged in Spain’s biggest ever World Cup win. AFP

Sergio Busquets - 8. One of five Barcelona players in Spain’s starting XI. Saw plenty of ball as Spain has 85 per cent of possession and passed their opponents into an early submission. Passed to Alba who was in space to set up the second. Won everything in the air. Reuters

Pedri - 9. Costa Rica struggled to get near him and his rapid passing which helped set up the opening goal. A cut above any other player. Getty

Gavi - 8. At 18, Spain’s youngest ever player in a World Cup finals, he dropped a beautiful ball in to set up Olmo for the opener. Scored himself when he volleyed in Spain’s fifth after 74 minutes. That made him the youngest goalscorer in a World Cup match since Pele in 1958. Superb technique. EPA

Dani Olmo - 9. The 24-year-old Catalan directed a beautiful ball wide after four minutes, then scored Spain’s 100th goal in World Cup finals after a graceful spin/turn. Set up Spain’s seventh. Huge lift for the player who’d been injured before the finals. Getty

Marco Asensio - 8. Shot on target was saved by Navas on 8, but he scored Spain’s second after 20, sweeping an Alba cross past the bungling Navas for his first World Cup goal. Out of favour with Real Madrid but played well for his country. AP

Ferran Torres - 8. Made it 3-0 with a cool penalty after just 30 minutes. And 4-0 after 53, hooking in a ball past the hapless, hopeless, Costa Ricans. Perfect start for him in the World Cup finals. AFP

SUBS: Alvaro Morata (Torres, 57') - 8. Set up Gavi for the fifth. Scored himself, Spain’s seventh. He’s now scored 28 goals for his country. AFP

Carlos Soler (Pedri 57') - 7. Slotted in his fourth international goal to make it 6-0. EPA

Alejandro Balde (Alba 64') - 6. On his World Cup debut. Crossed towards Soler which led to Spain’s sixth. EPA

Koke (Busquets 64') - 6. Assumed the captain’s armband, an experienced player among the young. Getty

Nico Williams (Asensio 69') - 6. Came on as Luis Enrique gave his players minutes and rests ahead of their key game against Germany. EPA

COSTA RICA RATINGS: Keylor Navas - 1. The experienced goalkeeper had to do better with the second goal as Marco Asensio’s shot didn’t look to be directed too far into the corner. A tough opening game for the Paris Saint-Germain star as he picked the ball out of his net on seven occasions. AFP

Bryan Oviedo - 4. Worked hard throughout the match as one of the more experienced players in Costa Rica’s side, but couldn’t make an impact against a dominant Spain side. Replaced in the 82nd minute as focus switched to the next game. Getty

Francisco Calvo - 2. It wasn’t clear what Calvo was doing for the fourth goal conceded as he made an initial block before showing a lack of intensity to react to the second ball. A moment that summed up Costa Rica’s defensive display. AFP

Oscar Duarte - 2. Conceded a penalty in the 29th minute that left Costa Rica with a mountain to climb. A strong challenge denied Asensio from a second goal close to the half-time whistle. Slow to react in situations. AFP

Carlos Martinez - 5. Forced to battle hard against a Spain side that often came down his flank. Could have used more help from his midfield who were slow to track runners. Substituted at half-time. EPA

Keysher Fuller - 4. Allowed too much space for Jordi Alba to benefit from overlapping runs and had to help out his full-back more to prevent an attacking route that Spain profited from frequently. AFP

Celso Borges - 6. One of the few Costa Rica players able to maintain possession while also winning a number of duels. Sometimes applied pressure in the wrong moments, but it was a difficult midfield battle on the night against Pedri and Gavi. Reuters

Yeltsin Tejeda - 4. Couldn’t seem to get on the ball enough despite playing in midfield and gave away possession cheaply when he did, though that wasn’t helped by an overall poor team performance from Costa Rica. AP

Jewison Bennette - 5. A tough night for the 18-year-old who spent most of the game trying to keep shape as Spain kept possession. Wasn’t provided service when forward to try and influence the match. AFP

Joel Campbell - 4. Tried to link play with Keysher Fuller but a lack of service in forward areas meant he often had to play cautiously. A lack of service meant he could rarely get going in a match that became a training exercise for Spain. Booked late-on. AP

Anthony Contreras - 4. Held the ball up well in some moments under pressure but was more often dispossessed as multiple defenders crowded him out. AFP

SUBS: Kendall Waston (Martinez, 45') - 6. Won a number of duels that helped relieve pressure. Looked to add a level of physicality to Costa Rica’s defence and was strong in the tackle, though could have been quicker to track Morata for the seventh goal. A solid case to start the next game. AFP

Bryan Ruiz (Bennette, 61') - 5. Found similar struggles to Bennette and gave away the ball too easily. EPA

Alvaro Zamora (Contreras, 61') - 5. Kept things simple as Costa Rica looked to keep the score down, with the match out of sight by the time he was brought on. Brandon Aguilera (Borges, 72') N/A. Ronald Matarrita (Oviedo, 82') N/A. AFP

Canada prove they belong

Canada played their first World Cup game in 36 years on Wednesday, taking on European giants Belgium in their Group F opener.

It was meant to be a nice, gentle introduction to the tournament for a Belgium side ranked second in the world - compared to Canada's 39 - and boasting some of the best players in the world, headlined by midfield superstar Kevin De Bruyne.

Belgium ultimately got the win and three valuable points, but it could have been very different thanks to an impressive performance by Canada, who utterly dominated the first half and had a penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Were it not for some wasteful finishing, Canada could easily have joined Saudi Arabia and Japan as surprise winners this week.

Despite the result, it was an encouraging performance which proved Canada certainly deserve to be mixing it among the world's best teams. With young stars including Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Tajon Buchanan - who was brilliant against the Belgians - the future of Canadian football looks exciting.

But even looking at their immediate future, in a group that contains Morocco and Croatia - who played out a goalless draw - Canada can give themselves a fighting chance if they are able to replicate Wednesday's performance for the rest of the group stage.

BELGIUM RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois, 9: Showed why he’s the best in the world when he kept his side on terms after a frantic opening 10 minutes ended with the goalkeeper palming away Davies's penalty. Later displayed strong wrists to beat away Johnston’s vicious drive and looked unbeatable. EPA

Leander Dendoncker, 6: Conceded a cheap corner after finding himself penned in by Hoilett. Survived a booking for rather cynically dragging back his man to halt a Canada counter before it had really started and glanced a half-chance over the bar at the other end. AP

Toby Alderweireld, 6: Thankful to see his attempted clearance bounce out for a goal kick under pressure from Johnston. Given an earful by De Bruyne for hoofing the ball straight to Borjan, but assisted the opener with virtually his next touch, albeit fortuitously. AFP

Jan Vertonghen, 6: Another experienced head in Belgium’s back three, but you wouldn’t have known one bit in the first half as the men in Red were all over the place. Showed his quality after the break, undoubtedly helped by some tired legs. EPA

Timothy Castagne, 7: Given a torrid time by the energetic Canadian attack, although he might well have struck at the other end if not for a last-ditch intervention from Davies. Looked more and more comfortable as the game progressed. EPA

Youri Tielemans, 6: Had Canada in trouble for the first time when he got himself into a great position on the edge, but De Bruyne opted to look for Carrasco instead. Withdrawn at the interval. AP

Axel Witsel, 5: Summed up a pretty calamitous first half from Belgium when he tangled legs with the unrelenting Laryea, but the Red devils survived the VAR check. You felt that had it been given it wouldn’t have been overturned. AP

Yannick Carrasco, 5: Booked for getting his arm in the way of Buchanan’s effort, and the price might have been even greater had Courtois not come to the rescue from the resulting penalty. AP

Kevin de Bruyne, 5: Not his night. Failed to pick out a teammate as he uncharacteristically rushed his pass, which was also the wrong one, under pressure following a burst forward. Nutmegged by Eustaquio which summed up his evening. AFP

Eden Hazard, 7: Barely involved for the best part of 23 minutes, although his first contribution saw him pull the ball back into a great area with white shirts scrambling. Didn’t see too much of the ball, but provided some much-needed composure. AP

Michy Batshuayi, 7: Had an early opportunity to drive at the Canada defence but his deflected effort was easily saved. Opened the scoring against the run of play when he ruthlessly hammered beyond Borjan, but squandered some big chances. AP

SUBS: Thomas Meunier (on for Tielemans, 45'), 5: Booked for a reckless elbow barely eight minutes after coming on. AFP

Amadou Onana (on for Carrasco, 45'), 5: His first involvement was a poor one as his diagonal cross floated straight out for a goal kick, although you could see what he was trying to do. Followed Meunier into the book for another throw of an arm. AFP

Leandro Trossard (on for Hazard, 62'), 6: The Brighton man is in the form of his life and had Canada shirts back peddling at speed, but he just about ran out of room at the byline. Clipped painfully by Davies who saw yellow. EPA

Lois Openda (on for Batshuayi, 78'), NR: Hacked down blatantly by Johnston after a rapid burst upfield that saw the latter booked, and the punishment may even have been harsher on another day. EPA

CANADA RATINGS: Milan Borjan, 6: Grateful to see Batshuayi’s early attempt loop into his arms but otherwise didn’t have much to do in either half, but he was beaten all ends up by Batshuayi’s clinical strike. Getty

Alistair Johnston, 7: Gave the ball away cheaply as Canada got off to a dreadful start, but he responded with an immense show of character and picked out Hoilett with a beautiful ‘quarter-back’ style delivery that took nine Belgium shirts out of the game. AFP

Steven Vitoria, 6: Had virtually nothing to do in the first half, but when he did he failed to deal with Alderweireld’s hopeful punt forward and he was punished by Batshuayi. No nonsense next time around as he thumped a loose ball into the stands. AP

Kamal Miller, 8: Snatched away a huge chance from Batshuayi with a pivotal block on the slide at the back stick and he rescued the situation again, this time cutting out De Bruyne’s pass intended for the same man. AFP

Junior Hoilett, 7: Fizzed in a low cross that was beaten away as the underdogs started positively and continued to put deliveries into good areas. Snatched at his best opportunity when he dragged wide of Courtois’ right-hand post, but played with plenty of intensity. AP

Atiba Hutchinson, 7: Spread the ball out to the flanks nicely, but the 39-year-old’s hopeful strike drifted harmlessly wide of goal after the ball presented itself nicely. He was replaced in the second half, but no real shock there given the quick turnaround in games. Getty

Stephen Eustaquio, 7: Had De Bruyne rooted when he poked the ball through the passing maestro’s legs before putting an inviting cross into the box that was headed wide by David. Denied Belgium the chance to counter with another excellent sliding challenge. Getty

Richie Laryea, 8: Skipped past challenges for fun on the left and delivered some wicked crosses. Caused all kinds of problems and terrorised the aging legs of Alderweireld and Vertonghen, and still showed bags of desire to charge back and deny Batshuayi. AFP

Tajon Buchanan, 7: Gave his side a huge opportunity to take the lead when his effort on the spin struck the arm of Carrasco. Battled for everything in a tireless performance and got into all of the right positions, but he just couldn’t find the finish Canada craved. Getty

Alphonso Davies, 7: Canada’s poster boy won his race to be fit in time to feature, but he couldn’t beat Courtois from 12 yards as his tame spot-kick was pushed away to safety. He produced a couple of brilliant runs, but he couldn’t force a way through. PA

Jonathan David, 6: Skewed his first effort so far wide that the officials assumed his strike had gone for a corner. He was a constant menace, but he just couldn’t hit the target and saw a selfish effort blocked when he simply had to find Laryea who was unmarked. AFP

SUBS: Sam Adekugbe (on for Laryea, 74'), NR: Replaced the impressive Laryea who appeared to be struggling. Reuters

Ismael Kone (on for Hutchinsons, 58'), 6: Provided some fresh legs in midfield and produced a nice twist and turn before feeding Johnston on the inside as Canada pushed for a late leveller. AFP

Jonathan Osorio (on for Eustaqio, 81'), NR: Had little chance to make an impact given his late introduction. Getty

Liam Millar (on for Buchanan, 81') NR: Didn’t have too much time to make an impact but still managed to ask a couple of questions and saw his cross nodded over by Larin. Getty