Japan vs Germany was the second game of the quarterfinals of the Madrid Olympic Games’ football tournament in Captain Tsubasa. It was played in the Riazor stadium (La Coruña, Spain).

During the first half both goalkeepers managed to keep a clean sheet. Kojira Hyuga put the ball in the back of the net in the 30th minute, but the referee considered that he had fouled germany’s goalkeeper Deuter Muller, and the goal was invalidated.

In the 53rd minute Japan’s defender Yuji Soga was injured and had to be replaced by Ryo Ishizaki. A couple of minutes later Japan opened the scoring thanks to a special “High Speed Tornado Sky Alpha” twin shot by Tsubasa and Taro Misaki, off Ishizaki’s long pass. In the 70th minute Hyuga made a penalty kick that also meant a yellow card for german defender Schweil Teigerbran. After the second goal, the defensive Schmidt brothers were replaced by midfielder Michael Hain and forward Mario Goethe. In the 72th minute Hermann Kaltz injured Ken Wakashimazu, the former getting booked and the latter getting replaced by Shun Nitta. Just three minutes later, Karl Heinz Schneider injured Japan’s goalkeeper Genzo Wakabayashi during a dangerous play. Once again the german got a yellow card and the japanese had to be replaced by Yuzo Morisaki.

Germany took advantage of the inferiority of the new rival goalkeeper, and Schneider managed to score three goals in just eight minutes (78th, 80th, and 86th), getting the lead. One of the goals was assited by Manfred Margus. With the victory at their hands, the germans started to waste time, getting two yellow cards in loss time because of this (Goethe and Felix Max), and making a subtitution in the 96th minute. However, Japan managed to score in the last minute of overtime (98th) thanks to Nitta, who was assited by Hyuga.

For the start of extra time Hiroshi Jito replaced an injured Gakuto Igawa. Japan destroyed Germany in the first half, scoring  three goals in twelve minutes. The first was one more time a twin shot by Tsubasa and Misaki (using the new special technique), the second was Hyuga’s (assisted by Makoto Soda), and the third was Nitta’s. But Germany was able to score one goal before half time, thanks to Kaltz (assisted by Schneider).

In the second half of extra time Schneider managed to score again (minute 111th, asisted by Teigerbran), setting the score 6-5. Kaltz got injured during the end of the game and had to be replaced in the 120th minute. The referee decided to add 6 minutes of loss time, and Japan fought hard to keep the score as it was. In the last minute of the game Tsubasa dribbled from box to box to score the last goal of the match with a super curved shot just before the final whistle.

LINEUPS AND BOXSCORE:

This was the last game of group D of the Madrid Olympic Games’ football tournament. It was played in the Riazor stadium (La Coruña).

Both teams had already qualified for the knock-out round having won the first two matches. Therefore, this match was just going to decide who would finish first (and face Argentina in the next round) and who would finish second (and play Japan in the quarterfinal). Brazil had the best goal difference so a tie would be enough for them to earn the first place, and reserved their main players (Natureza, Rivaul and Carlos Santana) in the bench for this game.

In the first half Germany took advantage of playing with their best players and got a three goal lead thanks to a “true” hat-trick (one goal scored with each leg and another with a header) by their captain Karl Heinz Schneider. Schweil Teigerbran assisted Schneider for the first and third goal (the latter from a corner kick), while forward Manfred Margus was the passer for the second goal.

At the half-time break Natureza and Santana replaced midfielders Silva and Marcio, and shortly afterwards Pepe scored off Santana’s repelled shot. In the 57th minute Rivaul entered the pitch subbing for Branco. In the 62th minute Natureza put the 2-3 in the scoreboard assisted by Rivaul, and in the 71st minute Brazil completed their comeback with Natureza and Santana’s full metal phantom kick, one more time thanks to an assist from Rivaul.

However, Germany scored in the 80th minute in a counter attack finished by Schneider and started by goalkeeper Muller’s long pass. Right after recovering the lead, Germany replaced forward Margus and attacking midfielder Franz Schester for defensive midfielders Eric and Kevin Schmidt. But Brazil did not give up and manage to tie the game in the 98th minute after Rivaul scored a penalty kick, that also meant a red card for Hardwich.