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▼ Japanese and Polish fans praise the Samurai Blue’s teamwork following World Cup progress
- Category:Event
Japan and Poland’s World Cup game Thursday, the last in the tournament’s group stage, has united Polish and Japanese soccer fans in Tokyo, with many praising the Samurai Blue’s teamwork and fair play as examples to follow.
The game ended 1-0 to Poland following a solitary goal by defender Jan Bednarek. But despite the defeat, Japan advanced to the round of 16, inspiring wild dancing, with fans jumping for joy and chanting “Nippon, Nippon” after the final whistle.
Takumi Okaniwa, 32, who came to watch the match at M-Spo Sports Bar in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward with both teams’ jerseys so he could change depending on the results, said he was disappointed the match didn’t end with a draw.
“After the first goal (by Poland) I was hoping Japan would at least draw … But in the end it was Japan’s fair play that turned out to be decisive,” Okaniwa said, referring to the newly introduced tiebreaker rule, which lets a team with fewer yellow cards advance to the knockout round when two teams in a group end up with the same points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head record.
Polish fans, who had been let down by Poland’s poor performance in the tournament, which resulted in the team’s exit before Thursday’s game, were happy with the outcome for both Japan and Poland.
“I bet money on Japan as Poland had already lost its chance to advance,” said 30-year-old Polish cook Sylwester Kochanowski. He said he was displeased to see Japan choosing not to take chances in the last minutes of the match, instead passing the ball around in their own half to run down the clock, but he added that he would continue to support Japan in the next stage.
Professional shogi player Karolina Styczynska, 27, who has been competing in Japan for five years and was also at the sports bar, said she was happy that “both teams won,” referring to Japan’s progress and Poland’s successful fight “for honor.”
“Poland has some strong players, but Japan can play well as a team,” which reflects Japan’s culture, said 30-year-old Ryoki Tamura, a real estate agent from Tokyo who played soccer in his school years with national team players such as Yu Kobayashi.
Tamura was among many supporters who said teamwork is the most important part of the sport.
This aspect of the game is Japan’s strong point and the only thing it can rely on, said Naoya Takahashi, 24, and Kazuki Narui, 26, both from Chiba Prefecture, who were sporting the national team’s kit and had Japan’s flag painted on their cheeks.
“Japan corrects mistakes after each game — they review their strategy and this is something Poland could learn from Japan,” said Barbara Henmi, 51, a Pole who has lived in Japan for nearly 30 years. Henmi said the outcome of the game has brought joy to supporters from both sides.
“Soccer or any other sport isn’t only about rivalry, it should connect people,” Henmi said. “And this game was a good opportunity for the Japanese to learn more about Poland, and apparently more people got interested in Poland thanks to this match.”
“Polish players and spectators alike could also draw lessons from the tournament and from opponents, and emulate Japan in terms of teamwork, which is necessary in all spheres of our lives — in a family, politics or sports.”
The game ended 1-0 to Poland following a solitary goal by defender Jan Bednarek. But despite the defeat, Japan advanced to the round of 16, inspiring wild dancing, with fans jumping for joy and chanting “Nippon, Nippon” after the final whistle.
Takumi Okaniwa, 32, who came to watch the match at M-Spo Sports Bar in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward with both teams’ jerseys so he could change depending on the results, said he was disappointed the match didn’t end with a draw.
“After the first goal (by Poland) I was hoping Japan would at least draw … But in the end it was Japan’s fair play that turned out to be decisive,” Okaniwa said, referring to the newly introduced tiebreaker rule, which lets a team with fewer yellow cards advance to the knockout round when two teams in a group end up with the same points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head record.
Polish fans, who had been let down by Poland’s poor performance in the tournament, which resulted in the team’s exit before Thursday’s game, were happy with the outcome for both Japan and Poland.
“I bet money on Japan as Poland had already lost its chance to advance,” said 30-year-old Polish cook Sylwester Kochanowski. He said he was displeased to see Japan choosing not to take chances in the last minutes of the match, instead passing the ball around in their own half to run down the clock, but he added that he would continue to support Japan in the next stage.
Professional shogi player Karolina Styczynska, 27, who has been competing in Japan for five years and was also at the sports bar, said she was happy that “both teams won,” referring to Japan’s progress and Poland’s successful fight “for honor.”
“Poland has some strong players, but Japan can play well as a team,” which reflects Japan’s culture, said 30-year-old Ryoki Tamura, a real estate agent from Tokyo who played soccer in his school years with national team players such as Yu Kobayashi.
Tamura was among many supporters who said teamwork is the most important part of the sport.
This aspect of the game is Japan’s strong point and the only thing it can rely on, said Naoya Takahashi, 24, and Kazuki Narui, 26, both from Chiba Prefecture, who were sporting the national team’s kit and had Japan’s flag painted on their cheeks.
“Japan corrects mistakes after each game — they review their strategy and this is something Poland could learn from Japan,” said Barbara Henmi, 51, a Pole who has lived in Japan for nearly 30 years. Henmi said the outcome of the game has brought joy to supporters from both sides.
“Soccer or any other sport isn’t only about rivalry, it should connect people,” Henmi said. “And this game was a good opportunity for the Japanese to learn more about Poland, and apparently more people got interested in Poland thanks to this match.”
“Polish players and spectators alike could also draw lessons from the tournament and from opponents, and emulate Japan in terms of teamwork, which is necessary in all spheres of our lives — in a family, politics or sports.”
- June 29, 2018
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