Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu: 'We played as one'

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu praised the determination of his side after a stunning second-half comeback saw them beat Spain to book their place in the last 16 of the World Cup as Group E winners.

Spain had looked in total control at the break after taking the lead through Alvaro Morata's early header.

However, following a couple of changes at half-time, Japan produced a remarkable turnaround in the space of five minutes.

Substitute Ritsu Doan equalised with a 20-yard drive before Ao Tanaka bundled in a second goal – which VAR allowed to stand following a lengthy review after the ball had appeared to have gone out of play during the build-up as Brighton midfielder Kaoru Mitoma cut it back from the line.

Japan will now go on to play Croatia on Monday afternoon for a place in the quarter-finals.

"We played against Spain, which is one of the best teams in the world. We knew before the game that this was going to be very tough and difficult, and indeed, it was," Moriyasu said.

"The players conceded one goal, but they persisted and they persevered and tried to change the flow of the game. We played as one and I could feel the times had changed.

"There were many fans who came all the way from Japan and as well those who stayed behind in Japan, and I think our win is also owed to them."

We need your consent to load this comcast-player contentWe use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

On Japan’s second goal, Moriyasu, speaking through an interpreter, said: "We were just playing to win. We think that our intensity materialised as a goal.

"Whether the ball was out or not, there is