The post-match question is simple: what decided the result? The score supplies the answer. Japan and Ecuador were level at 0-0 in the match record, so neither side found a goal in the game itself. The shootout then created the only separation recorded, with Japan finishing on five and Ecuador on four.
That split gives the summary a clear shape. The scoreline was goalless, but the result was not a draw: Japan won the shootout 5-4. For Japan, the one-kick margin turned an even contest into a winning result. For Ecuador, the match stayed level through play before the shootout ended with a narrow defeat.
The highlights are therefore concentrated in the final sequence rather than a scorer's finish. The key stats are 0-0 in the match score and 5-4 in the shootout, a combination that explains the entire result without adding a regulation goal to either side's tally. In a concise post-match assessment, Japan's advantage came from the spot, while Ecuador's effort ended one successful kick short.