By Andrew Warshaw
June 29 – Fair play, what fair play? If ever FIFA needed to have a hard look at the rules in terms of the criteria used for teams advancing to the knockout stage, Japan’s shameful tactics against Poland on Thursday – shades of Germany versus Austria way back in 1982 – provided ample evidence.
Akira Nishino’s side finished with the same number of points, goals scored and goals conceded as Senegal, but were shown only four yellow cards during the group stage to the African side’s six.
Those are the regulations, designed to encourage fair play from the start of the tournament. But the way Japan, after going a goal down, played out their final group game to qualify at Senegal’s expense represented a total disregard for the way the game should be played – a far worse breach of fair play surely than picking up the odd extra yellow card.
As news of the other game filtered through, Nishino’s side eased off after conceding for fear of conceding a second goal on the counter-attack which would have put them out.
Yet the sight of Japan stroking the ball around aimlessly and Poland happy to go along with the tactic in order to head home with their one and only victory was highly distasteful. For fair play, read foul play.
“We did not go for victory but we just relied on the other match,” Japan coach Akira Nishino admitted. “That was slightly regrettable but I suppose at that point I didn’t have any other plans.
“I am really not happy about how we played but we wanted to go through to the round of 16 and we have, and that is the only salvation that I get.”
Enough said…
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713906226labto1713906226ofdlr1713906226owedi1713906226sni@w1713906226ahsra1713906226w.wer1713906226dna1713906226