The 1,000th match in World Cup history belonged emphatically to Japan, who dismantled Tunisia 4-0 in Monterrey to move within sight of the knockout stage. Ayase Ueda struck twice and set up another as the Samurai Blue produced their most dominant performance at a finals, eclipsing their previous best win margin and becoming the first Asian side to score four in a single World Cup game. The victory, coupled with the Netherlands’ 5-1 thrashing of Sweden in the other Group F contest, left Japan second on goals scored and Tunisia eliminated after a second successive heavy defeat.

Japan needed just four minutes to seize control. Keito Nakamura’s low cross from the left found Daichi Kamada, who diverted the ball in from close range for the fastest goal the nation has ever scored at a World Cup. Tunisia, playing under new coach Hervé Renard after Sabri Lamouchi was sacked in the wake of a 5-1 loss to Sweden, looked disjointed from the start. Their defence failed to close down space and the midfield repeatedly surrendered possession. Ueda doubled the lead in the 31st minute when he drove forward unchallenged from midfield and unleashed a precise low strike into the far corner. Japan’s passing was crisp and their pressing relentless, limiting the Tunisians to no shots on target in the first half. The pattern continued after the break: Junya Ito added a third on 69 minutes, collecting a deft chip from Ueda and finishing calmly, before Ueda rose to head in Kaishu Sano’s cross with seven minutes left to complete the rout.

For Tunisia, the tournament unravelled at astonishing speed. Renard’s much-heralded emergency appointment – the first mid-tournament coaching change in modern World Cup history – failed to arrest the decline. The Carthage Eagles ended the match without a single shot on target and have conceded nine goals in two games, the worst defensive record of any side at this edition. They now face the Netherlands in Kansas City with only pride at stake, while Japan travels to Dallas to meet Sweden. A draw against the Swedes would guarantee Japan a place in the round of 32, and a better result could even see them top the group.

The Japanese also set a flurry of individual and team records. Ueda became only the second player at this tournament to record both a brace and an assist in a match, while Kamada’s fourth-minute goal entered the national record books. After the final whistle, dozens of Japanese supporters remained in the stands to collect rubbish, a custom rooted in the country’s culture and observed at previous tournaments. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu, reflecting on the win, said his team had “prepared well and played aggressively,” a statement borne out by the sight of Tunisia’s defenders chasing shadows all night.