FIFA World Cup 2018: Japan creates history, beats Columbia 2-1
Japan created history by becoming the first ever Asian team to beat any South American team in the history of World Cup. Playing in the first game of Group H, Japan beat Columbia 2-1 to earn full points in FIFA World Cup 2018 on Tuesday.
Incidentally, it is also the first time that Columbia has lost to any Asian team. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Columbia had beaten Japan 4-1.
June 19 has proved lucky for Japan for the first time. In the previous World Cup on this day, Japan once played a draw against Greece and in the subsequent edition lost to the Netherlands.
Other notable point of today's game was award of the first Red Card of the tournament. In the third minute when Carlo Sanchez touched a ball with his hand, it not only led to award of a penalty but also got him, Red Card.
Columbia, reduced to 10 players, conceded the first goal from the resultant penalty that saw Shinji Kagawa beating Ospina in the goal with a grounded drive in the centre.
This was also the first goal by any Asian team in this tournament. Other Asian teams - Saudi Arabia and Korea - lost their opening games without scoring.
Juan Quintero scored from a free kick with a powerful grounder that went into left corner of the Japanese goal.
The all important goal, the match-winner, came in the 73rd minute when Yuya Osako's header off a corner by Keisuke Honda found the net.
With three points from the game, Japan moves to the top of the table.
