Blue Samurai deserve praise for their achievement in the World Cup
(From The Japan Times July 2 issue)

W杯で健闘した侍ブルー

Japan's Blue Samurai deserve praise: In reaching the second round of this year's World Cup in South Africa, they did much better than expected. The June 29 5-3 defeat to Paraguay on a penalty shootout — after a grueling 120-minute contest without a goal — was heartbreaking. Although the team failed to reach the quarterfinals and thus fell short of team manager Takeshi Okada's goal of reaching the last four, team members have reason to be proud of themselves.

Many Japanese soccer fans were glued to the TV broadcast of the Japan-Paraguay match, which lasted from 10:40 p.m. June 29 to 1:10 a.m. June 30. Average audience ratings were 57.3 percent in the Kanto area, 54.1 percent in the Osaka area and 52.4 percent in the Nagoya area, according to Video Research Ltd.

Before the World Cup started, it had been thought that it would be very difficult for Japan to win even a single game, let alone advance from Group E. In that group, Japan defeated Cameroon and Denmark, and suffered a narrow loss to the Netherlands. Italy and France, the champion and runnerup, respectively, in the 2006 World Cup, left the scene early.

In view of this, the Japanese team's achievement was great. Thanks to his communication skills, Mr. Okada succeeded in winning trust from players and keeping their morale high. The team unity that was thus created helped to prevent players from becoming too nervous or tense to perform at their best. They showed a fighting spirit to the end.

In addition to its agility on the pitch, the Japanese team demonstrated a deft defense. Mr. Okada developed a reliable defense network in which players worked closely as a team with sustained concentration.

Mr. Okada, who took over the reins of the national team in 2007 for a second time, has hinted he will step down. We hope he continues to work to improve the team. The Japan Football Association, for its part, should strive to nurture powerful players who can help Japan gain a strong position in Asian soccer.

南アW杯で第2ラウンド出場という期待以上の素晴らしい活躍ぶりを見せた侍ブルーは、対パラグアイ戦で120分の攻防の末、PK戦で痛恨の敗退となった。岡田監督の目指した4強にはなれなかったが、選手は誇りをもってほしい。

開催前、グループE突破はもちろん、1試合でも勝つことは難しいとされていた。岡田監督は選手の信頼を集めて士気を高め、チームの結束が力の発揮へとつながった。選手らは最後まで闘志を失わなかった。チームには敏捷性と強固な守備があった。監督は集中力を持続させ連携プレーを繰り広げる守備ネットワークを構築していた。

岡田監督には引き続きチーム向上を、日本サッカー協会にはアジアのサッカー界での日本の地位確立のため選手育成に力を注いでほしい。