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Did the ball cross the line? Japan reaches World Cup knockout stages with hotly debated goal
By George Ramsay, CNN
Fri December 2, 2022
Did the ball cross the line ... or didn't it?
The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images
CNN —
Japan reached the
World Cup knockout stages for the fourth time on Thursday – by what appeared to be a matter of millimeters.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Japan produced a remarkable comeback against Spain with two goals in quick succession in the second half, stunning the 2010 world champion to secure an unlikely spot in the last 16 at the expense of Germany.
But it’s Japan’s second goal that has been a topic of fierce debate in the aftermath of the game, specifically regarding whether the ball crossed the goal line before Kaoru Mitoma’s cutback pass to Ao Tanaka.
Japan reached the World Cup knockout stages for the fourth time on Thursday -- by what appeared to be a matter of millimeters.
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