Three Talking Points | Japan 0-1 Costa Rica | OneFootball

Costa Rica kept their hopes of making it to the next round of the FIFA World Cup alive following their 1-0 win over Japan on Sunday.

It was a goal from Keysher Fuller that helped the North American side get all three points, as Japan put in a spirited performance despite a a rather dull affair.

Game defines World Cup this year

The game was a rather dull one bar the last five minutes when it came alive, but the rest of it had limited action close to the goalmouths. It was a rather midfield dominated affair and in a way, it ended up defining how the tournament has been. It has been full of numerous goalless draws and full affairs and this one was probably one of the dullest ones.

Costa Rica show massive resolve

Even though Japan enjoyed a majority of possession during major phases of play, Costa Rica had to show a fair bit of resolve to stay in the game. Considering how they lost 7-0 to Spain, it required a certain amount of mental fortitude for them to pull of a performance that can define tournament.

Endo disappoints in huge outing

Wataru Endo did well in the win over Germany and the Japanese needed another good performance from him in the base of midfield today. But the 29-year-old disappointed, as he won only 3 out of 15 ground duels and lost possession 23 times. If they are to make it to the next round, a big performance is needed against Spain.

GWFN