Japan is not happy with their result: losing 3-1 to Australia, and it shows.

The country’s leading sports newspaper, Sankei Sports, chose the headline “A nation in despair as Australia come from behind to beat Japan”, and began the piece by saying: “We should have been having a good drink to celebrate victory, but after a dramatic turnaround, we ended up having to drown our sorrows”.

Popular daily paper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, questioned the way Japan coach Zico set out his side against the Oceania champions, and also criticised the substitutions made by the former Brazil No.10. “The leadership qualities of the two coaches was the difference between the two teams”. It then went on to heap praise on the Socceroos’ Dutch tactician Guus Hiddink: “Hiddink wielded his magic again; all Australia’s goals came from the substitutes that he brought on”.

Meanwhile, politicians think that there is still chance, though I want to point that Croatia played a great game against Brazil.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi remains optimistic about the team’s chances and urged the country’s fans to unite behind the Blue Samurai. “We’ll just have to give it our all in the next game”, he said.

Source: WCoffsite