- Title: 'We were almost there' Japan fans' dreams of reaching quarter-finals dashed
- Date: 5th December 2022
- Summary: AL WAKRAH, QATAR (DECEMBER 5, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CROATIA FANS CELEBRATING, WAVING FLAGS CROATIA FANS HUGGING, CHEERING CROATIA FANS WAVING FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) CROATIAN FAN, ANTE MATEO, SAYING: "We feel great, we feel great, Brazil is next. It was a great game, Japan was very tough but we made it through at the end of the day and we're going to the quarter-finals, that's it! Everybody who underestimated Croatia - here you go. One more time, quarter-finalists." VARIOUS OF CROATIA AND JAPAN FAN HOLDING HANDS, TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CROATIAN FAN, RENO IONIC, SAYING: "I'm feeling great! And, I'm so happy that we beat Japan, I'm sorry Japan, guys. We're going to go all the way, all the way, all the way. Maybe we're going to beat Brazil too!" CROATIA FANS WAVING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CROATIAN FAN, SASA PENAVA, SAYING: "We feel amazing, we played well, and I think the guys deserved the win, next game will be against Brazil so I hope we go for the quarter-final." CROATIA FANS CELEBRATING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPANESE FAN, YUKI WATANABE, SAYING: "We were hoping that we were going to win and go to the best eight, because we've never been to the best eight. Honestly, I feel sad, I'm sad. But like, the players didn't give up until the last penalty.†VARIOUS OF FANS WAVING JAPAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPANESE FAN, AYAKA ODASHIMA, SAYING: "Of course, I'm so sad, it's a little bit complex, because it was the penalty that decided the result, so it's kind of depends on luck. It's difficult to explain my feelings. But, all the Japanese believed that the Japan National team would go to the next round, so (I am) a little bit disappointed." VARIOUS OF BAND PERFORMING OUTSIDE STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPANESE FAN, NAGASHIMA KIICHIRO, SAYING: "We thought we were almost there, we won Germany and Spain, so we thought we could do it." VARIOUS OF FANS LEAVING STADIUM
- Embargoed: 19th December 2022 19:20
- Keywords: FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup fan reactions penalties post-game mood
- Location: AL WAKRAH, QATAR
- City: AL WAKRAH, QATAR
- Country: Qatar
- Topics: Middle East,Sport,World Cup
- Reuters ID: LVA001448405122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Japanese hopes of making it to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time were dashed on Monday (December 5), after the national team to Croatia won 3-1 in a penalty shootout.
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three spot-kicks ushering his team to the next round for the third time after an enthralling 120-minute contest finished deadlocked at 1-1 on Monday.
Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Japan in the 43rd minute and Ivan Perisic headed the equalizer 10 minutes after the break but the teams could not be separated over the remainder of the game.
For Japan, this was last-16 heartache for the fourth time after a loss to Turkey in 2002, exiting on penalties against Paraguay in 2010 and giving up a 2-0 lead to lose to a stoppage-time goal against Belgium four years ago.
After all their hard work in topping a difficult group and matching the Croatians for 120 minutes, Japan crumbled in the shootout with only Takuma Asano converting his penalty.
"Honestly, I feel sad, I'm sad. But like, the players didn't give up until the last penalty," said one Japan fan after the match.
Croatia will face either Brazil or South Korea in the quarter-finals.
(Production: Thomas Suen, Branko Filipovic, Bushra Shakhshir) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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