"He was laughing as he was running" - Tony Cascarino slams Germany star for what he did in 2022 FIFA World Cup loss to Japan

Former Chelsea centre-forward Tony Cascarino has accused Germany star Antonio Rudiger of mocking Japan forward Takuma Asano during their 2022 FIFA World Cup clash on Wednesday (23 November).

Japan inflicted a stunning 2-1 defeat upon four-time FIFA World Cup winners Germany in their Group E opener on Wednesday. Ilkay Gundogan scored the opening goal for the heavyweights from the penalty spot in the first half and looked on course for a routine victory. Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano, however, poured cold water on their hopes, scoring two excellent late goals in the second half to guarantee a historic win over Germany.

Real Madrid star Rudiger played a decent game against the Samurai Blue but received flak from Cascarino for his apparent mocking of Asano during a foot race. Rudiger pulled off a cartoonish and bizarre run in the race against Asano before safely guiding the ball out of play. TalkSPORT’s co-commentator, Cascarino immediately pointed out Rudiger’s mocking run, saying:

“Rudiger there is mocking his opposition position in Asano, that was a strange running style but he was laughing as he was running.”

After Japan completed their exceptional FIFA World Cup turnaround, Cascarino revisited Rudiger’s run, questioning his actions.

Cascarino added:

“Do you feel that moment of Rudiger mocking the forward when he was running contributed to the lackadaisical approach in the second half that Germany have had in this game?

“He was smiling as he was running and he was clearly mocking the Japanese centre-forward.”

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Germany coach Hansi Flick rues over missed chances after shock 2022 FIFA World Cup defeat

The four-time world champions dominated proceedings for most of the match. They enjoyed a whopping 74% of the ball, had 26 shots, 11 of which landed on target, and even hit the woodwork twice. Japan, on the other hand, were considerably more clinical, scoring two goals from their four shots on target.

Speaking after the game, German head coach Hansi Flick rued over his side’s lack of cutting edge and claimed that Japan won simply because of their efficiency. The former Bayern Munich coach stated (via DFB_Team_EN):

“It's bitterly disappointing. We had 78% possession in the first half and had plenty of chances in the second that we failed to take. Japan beat us with their efficiency.”

The 2014 FIFA World Cup winners return to action with a mouth-watering clash against Spain on Sunday night, 27 November.