Japan v Poland, 28 June 2018

Kick-off: 5.00pm local Japan v Poland was Match 47 of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Refereeing team: Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Dos Santos (Angola) Assistant Referee 2: Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) Fourth Official: Ricardo Montero (Costa Rica) Reserve AR: Juan Mora (Costa Rica) VAR: Daniele Orsato (Italy) Japan became the first nation in the history of the World Cup finals to progress out of the group stages on the fair play rule. FIFA stats showed that they conceded 28 fouls; fewer than any other nation in three group games at Russia 2018. Although they had identical records in their three group games, Japan progressed to the round of 16 at the expense of Senegal due to their superior fair play record (Japan were shown a total of three yellow cards in their three games compared to Senegal's five). Japan had now failed to score in five of their last six games in the World Cup finals against European nations (lost three) with their only goals scored in a 3-1 win against Denmark in 2010. Poland had now won all of their 14 games when they had scored the first goal at a World Cup finals. This was the first time that Poland had kept a clean sheet in a game at the World Cup finals since a 1-0 win against Portugal in 1986. They had conceded 23 goals in the ten subsequent games. Poland became the first European nation eliminated from the 2018 World Cup when they lost against Colombia. This is the third consecutive World Cup finals that they have gone out at the group stage (also 2002 and 2006).