Japan vs Costa Rica final score, result: Late Fuller goal seals smash and grab World Cup win

Costa Rica claimed an unlikely victory over Japan through Keysher Fuller’s late winner that throws the Central American side a lifeline at the 2022 World Cup.

The defender found himself just outside the box with 10 minutes to go, unleashing a fine, curling shot that Japan goalkeeper Gonda could not deal with. It was Costa Rica’s first shot on target of the tournament, and following their 7-0 thrashing by Spain it gives them a win that few would have predicted.

Fuller’s goal lit up an otherwise pedestrian match that saw Costa Rica’s resilient defence cope well with Japan’s attack. The Blue Samurai, with five changes from the side that beat Germany, looked lethargic and only picked up after the break when Ito and particularly Asano came on. Scrambled saves from Keylor Navas kept Japan at bay late on, leaving the group poised enticingly ahead of Spain’s meeting with Germany this evening (Sunday).

Sporting News brought live updates and highlights for the World Cup Group E match, which you can recap below.

MORE: How to watch Portugal vs Uruguay in the World Cup match

Japan 0-1 Costa Rica

Goals:
Fuller 81'

Confirmed lineups:

Japan lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 2. Yamane, 4. Itakura, 22. Yoshida, 5. Nagatomo — 6. Endo, 13. Morita — 8. Doan, 15. Kamada 24. Soma — 21. Ueda.

Costa Rica lineup (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Navas (GK) — 19. Waston, 6. Duarte, 15. Calvo, 8. Oviedo — 4. Fuller, 5. Borges, 17. Tejeda, 13. Torres — 12. Campbell, 7. Contreras

MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)

Japan vs Costa Rica live updates, highlights from 2022 World Cup

Watch the winning goal - US only

Keysher Fuller's late goal in the 81st minute secures all three points for Costa Rica against Japan! 🇨🇷

Rewatch Costa Rica's last-minute heroics in our 90' in 90" highlights ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/I4FtZVk5Z0

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 27, 2022

Watch the winning goal - Australia only

FULLER GIVES COSTA RICA THE LEAD! 🤯

They've gone from a 7-0 loss to being on the verge of a win against Japan!

Watch Japan v Costa Rica at the #FIFAWorldCup from Qatar LIVE right now on @SBS and @SBSOnDemand! 🇯🇵 🇨🇷

▶: https://t.co/B0Gc4UdjUa#SBSWorldCup #WeAllSpeakFootball pic.twitter.com/XZVn8LcyrX

— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) November 27, 2022

Watch the winning goal - UK only.

First shot on target. First goal. ✅

Keysher Fuller has kept Costa Rica's last 16 hopes alive!#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ySkM2xV6Ib

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 27, 2022

FULL TIME: It's all over! Costa Rica claim the ultimate smash and grab, against the odds victory!

95 mins: Ito wins a free kick in the Costa Rica half - last chance, surely?

93 mins: Mitomo is on as a sub and making a difference but Japan are looking desperate.

90 mins: There will be six added minutes, and we've seen some late dramas thus far so stick with us!

87 mins: Chaos! Kamada pokes a shot at goal but Navas somehow claims it as the ball pinballs around.

84 mins: Japan have not been great and are now chasing the game, with Spain to come on matchday three. How quickly things can change.

80 mins: Keysher Fuller was on the edge of the box, got the ball onto his left and flipped a shot that curled into the top corner even though Gonda got a hand to it!

That was Costa Rica's first shot on target in the World Cup!

What did I say about fizzling out?

80 mins: GOOOOOOOAAALLLLLL! Costa Rica lead through brilliance from Fuller!

78 mins: No let up in the stands, the Japan fans are superb but it feels like it is fizzling out on the pitch.

73 mins: There is a tussle in the Japan area and replays show Endo pulling Waston's shirt. Nothing given.

71 mins: The wall does its job and the free kick rebounds away. 

70 mins: Yellow card - Calvo pulls Ito back in the 'D' and is booked but that could have been red - it felt like a clear goalscoring opportunity.

69 mins: One goal may well be enough today, it has that kind of feel about it.

66 mins: Costa Rica have been resilient but not exactly very attacking so far, and have yet to register a shot on target - in the tournament!

62 mins: Soma whips it over the wall, but he can't get it down enough and Navas watches it sail over.

61 mins: Endo is fouled in the 'D' and Japan have a free kick...

58 mins: Japan have been in 'hassle mode' since the break and it is hard to see how Costa Rica can get back at them.

They like Kaylor Navas...

TAPADÓN MONUMENTAL DE KEYLOR NAVAS EN EL INICIO DEL SEGUNDO TIEMPO.

VAMOOOOOOOS

🇯🇵 0-0 🇨🇷#FCRF #LaSele #PuraVidaEnQatar22 #Qatar2022 #JPNvsCRC

— FCRF (@fedefutbolcrc) November 27, 2022

49 mins: BTW it was Nagatomo and Ueda who made way at the break. Itakura and Endo get blocked shots in from a corner but PSG stopper Navas claims a rebound.

48 mins: Japan already look a different side with Asano on the pitch - much livlier and making Navas work again.

47 mins: Asano nearly makes a telling contribution, feeding Morita who shoots from inside the box and forcing Navas to punch the ball away.

46 mins: Back under way, Ito and Asano are on, looks like Japan are going to a back three.

Don't just take my word for it, folks...

Neither Japan or Costa Rica had a shot inside the opposition box or a shot on target in the first half. 😬#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/OOP7UNIwBv

— Squawka (@Squawka) November 27, 2022

Costa Rica - shots on target: zero. Japan - shots on target: zero. It's been that kind of half.

Half time: Just one minute is added and Michael Oliver blows for the break. It's no classic, to be honest with you.

43 mins: Yellow card - Yamane returns the compliment on Campbell with a clip from behind and is also booked.

41 mins: Yellow card - Contreras goes in clumsily on Yoshida's ankle and is booked by Michael Oliver, that's the first booking of the day.

37 mins: Endo tries to weave through that backline but Waston's perfectly timed tackle upends the Japanese player. Seconds later and Endo is denied again, this time by Tejeda's excellent block in the box.

35 mins: Ambitious from Campbell, he essays a shot with the outside of his left just inside the box but his effort curls high over the bar.

33 mins: Neither side has 'worked' the opposition keeper as yet. It's Sunday morning for me, and I need something to wake me up!

29 mins: Japan didn't have that much of the ball and still beat Germany, so their less-than-impressive start today may not be anything to worry about for a Blue Samurai fan. It's walking pace at times at the moment.

25 mins: Costa Rica's backline, sometimes its six in front of the box, are working really hard and getting their feet in just when it matters. Japan cannot find a way through, they need to be a bit cuter around the box.

21 mins: It's all very cagey, with so much at stake that's not surprising really. With short breaks between games, and the heat, the pattern seems to be slow-slow-quick-and back to slow.

17 mins: Good work from Doan and Yamane asJapan win it back on the edge of the box and Yamane tries hard to pull it back from a tight angle but the ball drifts behind. Japan improving at the moment.

13 mins: But then Japan threaten, with Doan eluding Campbell on the right of the box before sliding the ball across the face of goal. There's no-one on the end of it but that is Japan's best moment.

12 mins: Costa Rica still looking lively, with Campbell on the left (and in the shade) a particular threat.

8 mins: Pretty even so far but Costa Rica are improved from matchday one - not that that would be too difficult.

4 mins: Costa Rica win a few free kicks in succession, all taken by Campbell, who then goes on a twinkly-toed run that ends when he is fouled. Another free kick is floated into the box but Gonda claims easily.

1 min: Japan's first corner is whipped in but Ueda cannot stoop to it and Costa Rica clear.

Kickoff: We are under way! Costa Rica get it going, but Waston has to head it out of the box after Japan win it back and push down the left.

3 mins to kickoff: The anthems are done, and we are all set! Costa Rica's players really gave theirs some gusto, they know what's on the line.

5 mins to kickoff: It is 33 degrees on the pitch as referee Michael Oliver leads the teams out - there may well be water breaks today. Permission to say "Phew, what a scorcher?"

8 mins to kickoff: A giant World Cup in the centre circle plus fireworks means one thing - kickoff is getting very close!

15 mins to kickoff: Japan have made five changes, a sign of their strength in depth and maybe their confidence facing a Costa Rica side who looked badly off the pace against Spain.

Just two changes by Costa Rica, what difference might that make?

20 mins to kickoff: Costa Rica had a bad, bad day at the office first time out - they have to be massive underdogs today. But. it's a funny old game, as they say, and anything could happen!

25 mins to kickoff: Japan may have won the first match, impressively too, but there is so much hanging on today's result - win, and they are through.

Your Starting XIs for #JPN and #CRC are here!#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 27, 2022

𝙇𝙊𝙎 1️⃣1️⃣ 𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙄𝘿𝙊𝙎

¡VAMOS SELE! 🇨🇷#FCRF #LaSele #PuraVidaEnQatar22 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/JymgZhU0LI

— FCRF (@fedefutbolcrc) November 27, 2022

45 mins to kickoff: Asano, who scored the winner versus Germany is on the bench as is Tomiyasu.

1 hour to kickoff: The teams are in:

Japan: Gonda, Yamane, Itakura, Yoshida, Nagatomo, Endo, Morita, Doan, Kamada, Soma, Ueda.

Costa Rica: Navas, Waston, Duarte, Calvo, Oviedo, Fuller, Borgers, Tejeda, Torres, Campbell, Contreras.
 

1 hr 30 mins from kickoff: Japan captain Maya Yoshida says his side will need their dancing shoes today - "The spotlight is on us after the last game and we have to make sure that we don't dance badly. We're not through yet."

2 hrs from kickoff: Japan broke new ground at the World Cup when they came from a goal down to defeat Germany on matchday one. Should they win today against Costa Rica, they will take a huge step towards qualifying for the last 16.

It's the first time Japan have ever won a #FIFAWorldCup match after falling behind 🤯 #Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 24, 2022

Japan vs Costa Rica lineups, team news

Japan had some injury concerns coming into the World Cup, but those were soothed just in time. Ao Tanaka suffered a knock playing for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the build-up and was replaced in the second half against Germany. His fitness level is unclear.

Japan predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 19. Sakai, 4. Itakura, 16. Yoshida, 5. Nagatomo — 6. Endo, 7. Tanaka — 14. Ito, 15. Kamada 18. Kubo — 10. Maeda

There was concern over Costa Rica's star man and No.1 Keylor Navas' fitness coming into the tournament. Besides the misery of having seven goals fly past him, Navas looked healthy against Spain.

Costa Rica predicted lineup (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Navas (GK) — 16. Martinez, 6. Duarte, 15. Calvo, 8. Oviedo — 4. Fuller, 5. Borges, 17. Tejeda, 9. Bennette — 12. Campbell, 7. Contreras

Japan vs Costa Rica live stream, TV channel

This match will get underway at 13:00 local time in Qatar, with the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium hosting this potentially decisive match. 

Watch the match on fuboTV in USA: