Ayase Ueda Dropped Two Goals, And Tunisia's New Coach Had ZERO Answers as Japan Shut Them Out
HOLY MOLY, Japan came to play! In what felt like a blink, they absolutely steamrolled Tunisia with a dominant 4-0 shutout in Monterrey, Mexico, officially kicking them out of the World Cup group stage. If you tuned in for a tight match, you were dead wrong, because Japan brought the fireworks and left Tunisia's new coach, Herve Renard, wondering what just hit him. This wasn't just a win, it was a statement, and Tunisia paid the price.
Japan's Record-Shattering Offensive Blitz
From the moment the whistle blew, Japan was on fire. Daichi Kamada wasted no time at all, bagging the opener in the 4th minute! You read that right, the 4th minute! That’s now the fastest goal in Japanese World Cup history, blowing past Shinji Kagawa's 6th-minute strike from 2018. The Blue Samurai weren't done there. Ayase Ueda, who was an absolute beast all night, hammered one home in the 31st minute to make it 2-0.
Trade on Every Game with Kalshi
Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.
The second half was more of the same relentless pressure. Junya Ito got in on the action with a goal in the 69th minute, and then Ueda put the cherry on top, burying a header in the 83rd minute. That fourth goal? It officially made Japan the first Asian team EVER to score four goals in a World Cup match. What a way to mark the 1,000th World Cup match since the whole thing kicked off in Uruguay way back in 1930!
Tunisia's Nightmare Debut For Renard
For Tunisia, this was a brutal, brutal night. After getting smacked 5-1 by Sweden in their opener on June 14, which got their previous coach Sabri Lamouchi fired, Renard stepped in, hoping to turn things around. Remember Renard? He coached Saudi Arabia when they pulled off that shocking 2-1 upset against eventual champions Argentina in 2022. But his debut with Tunisia? Yeah, it was spoiled, big time.
Renard even made some bold moves, bringing back veteran goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen after the inexperienced Mouhib Chamakh totally fumbled against Sweden. Dahmen, who was in goal for their 0-0 tie with Denmark in 2022, actually made a ridiculous save in the 10th minute, barely keeping a Takehiro Tomiyasu shot out by inches. But even his heroics couldn't stop the Japanese onslaught, especially Ueda's brilliant strike from the edge of the box that threaded right between defender Montassar Talbi’s legs into the bottom corner. Japan’s goalie, Zion Suzuki, didn't even have to make a save all night, with Tunisia failing to put a single shot on target.
So, Tunisia (0-2-0, 0 points) is out, plain and simple. Japan and Netherlands are sitting pretty with four points each (1-0-1), both rocking a plus-4 goal differential. Sweden has three points (1-1-0) heading into the final group matches on Thursday. Japan plays Sweden, which will be a massive showdown for the top spot, while Netherlands faces Tunisia. You know Tunisia will be playing for pride, but Japan? They’re riding a serious wave right now!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.