The four-times Asian champions, who stunned Germany with a 2-1 win in their Group E opener, spurned a perfect chance to advance to the next phase on Sunday with a match remaining, conceding late on to a team that scored with their first shot on target of the Qatar World Cup.
Japan has been a permanent fixture at the World Cup since debuting in 1998 and has reached the last 16 three times, more than any other Asian side. Moriyasu said he would approach the Spain game differently and analyse how they performed against Germany in Sunday’s later Group E match.