Yellow-card tiebreaker decides World Cup group winner — PHOTOS
A fan of Colombia celebrates prior the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Colombia's Yerry Mina kicks the ball during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Japan's Gaku Shibasaki, right, hits the face of Poland's Jacek Goralski as they jump to head the ball during the group H match between Japan and Poland at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Colombia's Radamel Falcao, center, jumps for the ball with Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly, right, and Senegal's Youssouf Sabaly, left, during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Colombia's Santiago Arias, foreground, and Senegal's Sadio Mane challenge for the ball during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Senegal's Mbaye Niang, bottom, vies for the ball with Colombia's Oscar Murillo, top, during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Japanese soccer fans celebrate at a public viewing venue in Tokyo, Thursday, June 28, 2018, as Japan advanced to the next stage of the World Cup following their team's loss to Poland in the Group H World Cup soccer match. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Poland's Bartosz Bereszynski, front, is challenged by Japan's Gaku Shibasaki during the group H match between Japan and Poland at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Japan's Shinji Okazaki and Takashi Inui, right, wave to the stands at the end of the group H match between Japan and Poland at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Japan's Shinji Okazaki, right, greets his substitute Japan's Yuya Osako during the group H match between Japan and Poland at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima dives to stop a shot right over the goal line during the group H match between Japan and Poland at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Fans of Colombia's national soccer team celebrate their team's victory over Senegal after watching a live telecast of the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Munoz)
Colombia's Yerry Mina, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Colombia's Juan Cuadrado, right, celebrates after winning the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, as Senegal's Sadio Mane touches him, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, center, celebrates with teammates Johan Mojica, left, and Davinson Sanchez, right,the end of the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
A Colombia soccer fan reacts as she watches a huge screen during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Colombia's Radamel Falcao, second from right, celebrates after his teammate Colombia's Yerry Mina scored his side's opening goal during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Colombia's Yerry Mina, top, jumps for the ball with Senegal's Sadio Mane, during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Colombia's Juan Cuadrado controls the ball during the group H match between Senegal and Colombia, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Updated June 28, 2018 - 5:07 pm
MOSCOW — It doesn’t get any tighter than it did between Japan and Senegal on Day 15 at the World Cup, and they weren’t even playing each other. Both lost 1-0 in simultaneous matches, and since they were tied on every other measure, for the first time, a World Cup group was decided by who had fewer yellow cards. Senegal went home and Japan joined Colombia in advancing.
Belgium avoided any such complicated scenarios by topping England 1-0 to win their group in a game that seemed more about jockeying for position since both had already qualified to move on. And as group play wrapped up, Tunisia overcame the tournament’s record ninth own-goal for a 2-1 comeback win — its first World Cup victory in 40 years — and send World Cup first-timers Panama home with a third defeat.
