Japan, Costa Rica scoreless after one half
Published
A slow-paced first half between two tentative squads concluded without a single shot on goal registered by either side and a 0-0 tie between Japan and Costa Rica.
Anthony Contreras of Costa Rica was given the first yellow card of the match for an over-zealous challenge on Japan's Maya Yoshida in the 41st minute.
In the 34th minute, the consistently passive Costa Rican side got their first touches in the Japanese crease, which required an emergence clearance out of the box.
Japan controlled possession and pace through the opening 30 minutes, amassing just under 60 per cent possession and keeping a steady offensive presence in the Costa Rica crease.
The first decent scoring chance of the match appeared for Japan at the 12th minute, when Ritsu Doan, the hero of the opening match against Germany, sent a ball cleanly through the six yard box - but no Japanese player was there to touch the ball home.
Japan opened the match with their foot on the pedal, as they were able to generate a decent chance as well as a corner kick in the first three minutes of play, though no results on the score sheet were found.