Not content with one jaw-dropping shock, beating Germany in their first game, Japan managed a second in feverish conditions here to beat a multitalented Spain side and claim another place for Asia in the last 16 of this increasingly unpredictable World Cup. Two goals in quick succession after half-time from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka shocked Spain cold, taking their metronomic rhythms and throwing them into a bin bag that was then politely disposed of.
The Europeans still qualified for the knockout stages, in second place on goal difference ahead of Germany, but, if this was a deliberate…
