Another upset at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as Japan has beaten Colombia 2-1 at Mordovia Arena in Saransk in the opening game of the Group H, although Samurai Blue was a +400 out-of-towner against Los Cafeteros who played with ten men for the most of the match, while the clash was ended in the over of the total of 2.5 goals at +150.
Game Recap
We saw a crazy game as Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez was sent off in the third minute for a handball inside the box, so Japan took the lead as Shinji Kagawa was pretty confident from the penalty spot. Although with ten men on the field, Colombia was determined to get the equalizer in the first half, and they did it in the 39th minute when Juan Quintero scored from the free-kick. Quintero surprised everyone with a shot below the wall, but Japan’s goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima just had to stop it, so it was undoubtedly his fault.
In the second half, Japan was pilling on the pressure, looking for a winner, and after a couple of missed chances, Yuya Osako made it 2-1 with a nice header from Keisuke Honda’s corner-kick. Colombia was harmless in the second 45 minutes, and a -125 favorite to win this clash couldn’t create anything in the final third, as Los Cafeteros obviously lost the strength after playing with ten guys for the whole game. Another big blow for Colombia was James Rodriguez calf injury, and the Golden Boot winner from Brazil 2014 came off the bench in the 60th minute.
Just like four years ago when these two sides also met each other in the group stage, the clash was ended in the over of the total of 2.5 goals at +150, so the bettors who wagered on the over got some nice wages. However, rarely who could expect to see Japan’s victory, as the odds on Samurai Blue to avoid the loss were at +100. Colombia couldn’t satisfy the odds, not to mention a -1.5 spread at +260, so Los Cafeteros will now have a difficult task to qualify for the next round with the odds at +162, while the price on the Semi-Finals is +650. In the next game, Colombia faces Poland as a +140 favorite, according to BetDSI Sportsbook.
On the other side, Japan will be in a good position ahead of the Matchday 2 where they meet Senegal as +260 underdogs to grab a win, while the odds are -163 on Japan to qualify for the Round of 16.
