Japan put on a resilient performance in twice coming from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw against Senegal at Ekaterinburg Arena on Sunday. Here are five things we learned from the match.

Japan had some issues, technically speaking

After much pre-match talk about how Japanese players would overcome Senegal's brawn with their technical prowess, for large parts it proved very much otherwise. The Samurai Blue squandered promising buildups with sloppy play, giving away possession with imprecise passing or a heavy first touch. When they strung it together they got results, but it was not always pretty.

Inui the moment

After a long road to the top, Takashi Inui has proved to be a key man for Japan. The Real Betis midfielder scored Japan's first, hit the crossbar and created Keisuke Honda's late equalizer. He has now scored three goals in his past three outings in Japan blue, finally making a name for himself on the world stage, a long time after his national team debut as a 20-year-old in 2009.

Friendship wins in the end

Senegal star Sadio Mane said on Saturday that Japan defender and former Southampton teammate Maya Yoshida had rebuffed his offer to catch up before the match, causing some to hint there might be some beef. But after kickoff, it was clear there was plenty of love left between the former gym buddies as both players interacted regularly and even shared a hug and a joke as they were walking to the tunnel at halftime.

(Getty/Kyodo)

Regrets, he has a few

Senegal boss Aliou Cisse said he will leave Ekaterinburg with some regrets about how his team performed, with the obvious concerns being the lead they twice gave up. "I can't really explain it. At this level, with the type of players we have here, they are players that play at a world level," he said. "We conceded two goals that we shouldn't have, and we were not very good, to be honest. I think Japan was the best team on the pitch."

(Getty/Kyodo)

Japanese fans keep it clean

After being lauded for their efforts to leave the Mordovia Arena in Saransk in tip-top condition after their team's win over Colombia, Japan's fans in Ekaterinburg got further into the spirit, waving blue trash bags above their heads in a pre-match show of commitment to the cleaning cause. Unfortunately, their team did not take the hint and were unable to keep a clean sheet.