 Japan's hopes
of World Cup glory came to an end as
the co-hosts bade a fond sayonara on
an ignominiously wet, grey afternoon
as they lost 1-0 to Turkey.
AC Milan star Umit Davala
was the villain for the 45,000 Japanese
supporters at the Miyagi Stadium and
the millions more watching on televisions
in their homes and offices throughout
the country.
This was the end of
an era for Japanese football for after
four successful years under Philippe
Troussier, the Frenchman will now
step down due to what he claims is
a lack of motivation.
This was the pinnacle
for Troussier, with his side exceeding
all expectations in reaching the last
16 by winning a group which included
the more-experienced Russia, Belgium,
and for that matter Tunisia, when
it came to parading on the World Cup
stage.
In his own words, Troussier
stated he did not want to be in charge
come August for a clash with a team
like the Philippines, not after the
high of winning the Asian Cup in 2000
and now this showpiece event on home
soil.
Should Roger Lemerre
be sacked or resign from his position
as France coach later this week, it
is likely Troussier will be asked
to take over the former world champions,
four years on after he was initially
offered the assistant's post to Lemerre.
It is one he refused
as his desire was to be in sole charge,
not a number two, but after his success
in Africa with Burkina Faso, Nigeria
and South Africa, and now with Japan,
the French may turn to Troussier for
the 2004 European Championship qualifiers.
He can have no complaints
with his side for they gave their
all after being caught cold in the
12th minute, just as they were overcoming
their understandable nerves which
led to a sluggish start.
Arsenal reject Junichi
Inamoto's poor back pass had too much
pace on it for keeper Seigo Narazaki
to keep in play and from Ergun Penbe's
inswinging corner Davala was given
the freedom of the penalty area as
he headed home his second goal of
the World Cup.
For a moment a deathly
hush engulfed the stadium before cries
of `Nippon, Nippon', which had been
unrelenting since the first whistle,
again echoed around the ground.
The rain-soaked Japanese
fans did their best to raise their
team to the heights they had scaled
in drawing with Belgium and then defeating
both Russia and Tunisia.
But despite overwhelming
possessional superiority, they were
guilty of wasting it as goalkeeper
Rustu Recber was rarely needed to
make a noteworthy save.
He was beaten just before
the interval when the dynamic Alessandro
Santos, Japan's star player in the
first half before surprisingly being
replaced at the break, curled a 20-yard
free-kick over the wall, only for
it to crack against the angle of bar
and post.
Japan continued to dominate
throughout the second half, but for
one powerful header from Akinori Nishizawa
which was directed straight at Recber,
they never troubled the Turks who
can now look ahead to a quarter-final
clash with African sensations Senegal.
Turkey coach Senol Gunes
had claimed before the game his players
had written their names in history
with golden pens following their qualification
for the second round.
The superlatives from
Gunes after this victory, forcing
Japan to sign off from the World Cup
in disappointing fashion, are likely
to be just as colourful as Turkey
celebrated arguably their most important
ever triumph.
Japan
Seigo Narazaki,
Naoki Matsuda, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto,
Koji Nakata, Tomokazu Myojin, Junichi
Inamoto (Daisuke Ichikawa 45), Hidetoshi
Nakata, Kazuyuki Toda, Shinji Ono,
Alex (Takayuki Suzuki 45), Akinori
Nishizawa (Hiroaki Morishima 86).
Turkey
Rustu Recber,
Fatih Akyel, Bulent Korkmaz, Alpay
Ozalan, Hakan Unsal, Umit Davala (Nihat
Kahveci 74), Tugay Kerimoglu, Yildiray
Basturk (Ilhan Mansiz 90), Ergun Penbe,
Hasan Sas (Tayfur Havutcu 85), Hakan
Sukur.
Goal: Davala 11.
Attendance: 45,666.
Referee: Pierluigi
Collina (Italy).
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