Colombia vs Japan player ratings: Who stood out in Group H opener of World Cup 2018?
We had the first red card of the World Cup as Carlos Sanchez was sent off
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Your support makes all the difference.Japan caused a shock in the opening game of Group H in the World Cup 2018 as they beat Colombia 2-1 in Saransk.
Carlos Sanchez was shown the first red card of the tournament after only 2 minutes and 54 seconds for blocking what looked like a certain goal with his hand. That lead to former Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring from the penalty spot.
Juan Quintero managed to equalise just before half-time with an expertly-taken free-kick which slid underneath the jumping wall to send the thousands of travelling Colombians wild.
James Rodriguez was left out of the starting XI with a slight calf strain but Jose Pekerman decided to risk his star player in the second half to try and force the win, with goalscorer Quintero withdrawn in his stead.
It failed to have the desired effect though as Yuya Osako headed in the winner for the Japanese to send them top of the group.
Scroll through the gallery to see the full player ratings for the game in Saransk.
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