Japan defeated Spain 2-1 on Thursday night with only 17.7% possession, setting a new World Cup record for a winning team since that data has been tracked.
The Asians executed their counter-attacking plan to perfection and scored twice despite barely touching the ball. They have now qualified to the last 16, along with Spain, at the expense of Germany and Costa Rica.
The Spanish national team have long been a side that thrives with the ball at their feet thanks to their possession-based style, but Japan showed an excellent game plan to counter that approach.
After unexpectedly finishing top of Group E, Japan will face Croatia in the round of 16.
The Japanese remarkably won Group E on a rollercoaster night which saw four-time champions Germany eliminated.
Japan secured another incredible triumph after beating Germany in their opening game, with their progression from the “group of death” one of the greatest achievements in the country’s footballing history.
