Japan fell agonizingly short of their goal of a maiden World Cup quarterfinal berth Monday after a penalty shootout loss to Croatia in the round of 16, with Zlatko Dalic's men prevailing 3-1 following a 1-1 deadlock through 120 minutes at Al Janoub Stadium. Here are five things we learned from Japan's run to the knockout stage in Qatar. Samurai Blue can mix it with best While the 2022 World Cup squads of Germany and Spain might not have had the intimidation factor of their title-winning predecessors, they possessed no shortage of world-class talent and were rightly considered favorites to adva...
