World Cup Day 12 in Memes: Germany flops despite win as Japan & Spain advance into Last 16

Day 12 of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar resulted in another upset for the 2014 champions Germany, as they were knocked out of the Round of 16 race despite their 4-2 triumph against Costa Rica. A total of four teams from Group E and F sealed their spots knockout stage, which included Japan, Spain, Morocco, and Croatia. However, Japan’s win over Spain to spoil Germany’s hopes for qualification was one of the biggest highlights of the day.

Morocco and Croatia qualify for Round of 16, Belgium heads back home

Live action from the ongoing marquee tournament kicked off on Thursday with Croatia returning with a draw against the no. 2 ranked team in the FIFA rankings, Belgium. While Morocco claimed a 2-1 victory over Canada to claim the top spot in Group F standings, it meant Belgium would finish third. With the win, Morocco finished as the group toppers, while Croatia qualified as the second-placed team.

Japan scripts another stunning victory over former champions to earn qualification

Going ahead in the day, Japan staged another major victory for them by defeating 2010 World Cup champions Spain. While Spanish footballer Alvaro Morata scored the opening goal of the match in the 11th minute, Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka’s second-half goals made Japan finish at the top of the Group E standings. This was Japan’s second group stage victory, as they kicked off their campaign with a stunning win over Germany.

Germany flops at FIFA World Cup 2022 despite 4-2 win against Costa Rica

In the second Group E match, Germany managed to pick a 4-2 win over Costa Rica, but it wasn’t enough to take them through to the Round of 16. At the end of both matches, Japan found themselves at the top of the points table with six points, while Spain finished second with a win, a draw, a loss, and four points to their credit. While Germany also scored four points in their campaign, Spain went on to become the second team to qualify from Group E as they had a goal difference of 6, which was five more than that of the German side.