Japan’s penalty shootout defeat to Croatia adopted by Brazil’s stable 4-1 win over South Korea have ended Asian hopes on the World Cup in Qatar.
The sooner loss by Australia to Argentina within the group of 16 knockouts signifies that all three Asian Soccer Confederation groups have now been eradicated within the first knockout spherical of the World Cup.
However the Samurai Blue and the Taegeuk Warriors have a lot to be pleased with, not least Japan’s shock upsets in successful matches in opposition to European heavyweights Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1) within the group stage, and South Korea’s beautiful 2-1 win over Portugal.
Japan’s Nikkei Asia information organisation had described Monday’s video games as “one of many largest nights in Asian soccer for twenty years” and South Korea’s Yonhap information company wrote of the unlikely journey of the nationwide staff to the knockout stage of the World Cup in what had turn into a “memorable underdog story”.
Finally, each intrepid campaigns got here to an finish because the East Asian footballing giants have been unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Japan have been to the primary group-of-16 knockout spherical thrice in six journeys to the World Cup finals however have by no means gone any additional, a state of affairs Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu had dedicated his gamers to rectifying in Qatar regardless of a troublesome draw within the group stage.
As group winners in Qatar and defeating two former world champions within the course of, Japan went by to face a streetwise Croatian staff on Monday and after 120 minutes of play and a 1-1 draw, the Japanese faltered and went down 3-1 on penalties.
“I believe the remorse we really feel with this loss will result in one thing higher within the years to come back,” mentioned fullback Yuto Nagatomo, who was taking part in his fourth and doubtless last World Cup.
“We have been in a position to present the Japanese individuals’s combating spirit. It was troublesome to lose however Japanese soccer is for sure, making progress,” he mentioned.
Japan and Croatia in motion on December 5, 2022, in Qatar [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]
Coach Moriyasu tried to melt the blow of one other knockout loss, saying the staff had entered a “new period”.
“We can’t be superheroes in a single go,” Moriyasu mentioned. “We’ve to enhance step-by-step. However Japan is reaching a degree the place we are able to play on the world stage.”
“These gamers can look eye-to-eye with anybody now and take confidence in who we beat,” he mentioned.
Moriyasu had addressed his staff on the centre of the sphere after their loss to Croatia. Many gamers slumped on the bottom, others cried, and everybody consoled anybody inside attain.
“Though the outcome was not what we anticipated, I informed them (the gamers) that it doesn’t negate every little thing they did,” Moriyasu mentioned later.
“However we couldn’t break by the spherical of 16 and see a brand new panorama.”
Japan followers react as they watch their staff lose within the penalty shootout in opposition to Croatia in Tokyo, Japan on December 6, 2022 [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]
Moriyasu praised the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic who stopped three penalty pictures by Japan within the shootout.
“We’ve to simply accept this outcome,” the coach mentioned. “However whether or not we succumbed to strain, I don’t suppose so. I believe the goalkeeper was nice.”
Japan’s goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda addressed the failure straight.
“We got here up quick,” he mentioned. “We did every little thing we may the final 4 years.”
‘They gave every little thing’
South Korea’s Son Heung-min – a famous person from the UK’s Premier League and the most effective Asian participant on this planet – mentioned his staff “gave every little thing” within the battle in opposition to Brazil, but it surely was not sufficient.
“Brazil is the favorite, take a look at their gamers. For those who give them areas they rating,” mentioned Son, who recovered in time from an eye fixed socket fracture to function in Qatar, carrying a masks to guard his face throughout matches.
“I’m so pleased with what we’ve accomplished and I don’t wish to blame any of our gamers as a result of they gave every little thing,” he mentioned.
South Korean and Brazilian gamers in motion on December 5, 2022, at Stadium 974 [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
As co-hosts of the World Cup with Japan in 2002, South Korea had reached the semi-finals beneath Dutch coach Guus Hiddink. That yr the facet and went down in soccer historical past as the primary staff from outdoors Europe and the Americas to succeed in the final 4.
South Korea’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento had moved to mood expectations even earlier than the primary recreation in Qatar, not desirous to burden his facet with the strain of getting to qualify for the knockouts after three group stage exits at earlier World Cup tournaments.
“I consider our participation on the World Cup has resulted in a very reasonable method,” Bento mentioned after the Brazil match, the place he additionally confirmed that he was leaving his function because the Korean staff’s coach.
“I’ve to thank them for every little thing, they gave their greatest. I’ve been proud to be their supervisor,” mentioned Bento, who had been in his place since 2018.
Although their desires of a World Cup win have ended, South Korea’s supporters mentioned they have been pleased with how far their staff had come.
A South Korean soccer fan reacts as he watches a stay broadcast of the World Cup 2022 match between South Korea and Brazil in Qatar, at a public viewing venue in Seoul, South Korea, on December 6, 2022 [Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo]
Hundreds of followers in Seoul braved the chilly and snow within the early hours of Tuesday morning to look at their facet’s World Cup run finish in a 4-1 win for Brazil. South Korea’s information company Yonhap reported {that a} capability crowd of 33,000 followers attended an outside match-watching get together within the metropolis centre, regardless of snow flurries and temperatures that dropped beneath zero (32 levels Fahrenheit).
“The outcome isn’t vital,” 22-year-old pupil Lee Hyun-seo informed the Related Press on the outside occasion.
“Because of our gamers, it was actually cool and proud simply to have reached the spherical of 16.”
Kim Jae-cheol, 25, one other pupil on the occasion, mentioned the Brazilian staff’s victory was anticipated and the loss wouldn’t diminish help for the South Korean facet.
“I’ll hold supporting the Korean staff and I believe we can go to the quarter-finals and semi-finals sometime if we proceed to play our personal model.”