Japan v Costa Rica, 27 November 2022

Kick-off: 1.00pm local (10.00am GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Japan 24, Costa Rica 31 . This was both teams' second game at this World Cup tournament. While Japan shocked Germany with a 2-1 win in their opening games at this World Cup finals, Costa Rica’s 7-0 loss to Spain equalled their biggest-ever defeat; also versus Mexico in the Panamerican Championship in Mexico City in August 1975. . Japan had not lost in four previous meetings with Costa Rica (all friendlies, won three). . Asian nations had now won one of their nine games at the World Cup finals against members of the CONCACAF federation (Iran versus USA in 1998). . Japan failed in their attempt to win consecutive games at the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002 (versus Russia and Tunisia). They had now still yet to win their first two group games at the tournaments. . Costa Rica were without a win in their preceding seven games at the World Cup finals (lost three) and failed to score in five of them. . Costa Rica won their only previous World Cup finals game against an Asian nation (2-0 versus China PR in 2002). . Costa Rica had now won ten of their last 15 games (lost two). . Keylor Navas and Celso Borges became the first players to make ten appearances for Costa Rica at World Cup tournaments. . Two goals had now been scored in the first-half of the six games that kicked-off at 1.00pm Qatar time. .