No regrets

Japan returns without title, but with respect

PARIS (AP) -- Japan returned home from the Confederations Cup on Monday without a title, plenty of bad luck and loads of respect.

"Japan's team was very good," said France's Thierry Henry. "That (Shunsuke) Nakamura is good. Their players have a lot of talent. We were playing against a team that knows how to play, that monopolizes the ball, that doesn't play it long. It wasn't always easy," he said.

France should know. It struggled throughout against the quick, agile Japanese and needed a controversial penalty to prevail 2-1.

Beating New Zealand 3-0 in its opening match, Japan outplayed the defending champion and host for long stretches, with Nakamura and his fellow Italian league midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata shining.

Japan needed only a draw against Colombia to get through to the round of four, but adversity struck and Nakamura, who led the tournament with three goals, was sidelined for the match with an ankle injury.

Badly missing its star striker, Japan surrendered its hopes of a semifinal berth when playmaker Giovanni Hernandez's goal in the 68th minute gave the South Americans the 1-0 win.

"We lacked luck," said Japan's coach, Brazilian legend Zico. "I thought we played well, but we lacked luck.

"Nakamura's a great player and we missed him on the field," said Zico. "But it's too late now to regret it."

Even without Nakamura, Colombia coach Francisco Maturana, called Japan a "top-notch opponent" that made Colombia's victory "even sweeter."

Japan was tied for second with Colombia behind France for goals scored at the tournament and was ranked third for shots on goal, behind Colombia and France.

"Japan was the best team we played in the first round," said French midfielder Robert Pires, who plays for Arsenal.

The glowing compliments however did not ease the bitter disappointment of the Japanese players, scheduled to return home from Charles de Gaulles airport on Monday.

The team had been hoping for its first major international title and seeking to improve on the last edition, when they conceded only one goal in five matches, going undefeated until the final when Patrick Vieira's goal secured France the victory.

It had also been looking to end a 10-month slump.

Making an unprecedented journey to the second round at the World Cup last year, Japan was considered to have become a true contender.

Though often physically dominated by opposing teams, the Japanese have finally overcome a crippling deference for their rivals.

Increasingly, Japan's rising stars have been called abroad to play for some of the world's biggest clubs, with 23-year-old left-sided midfielder Shinji Ono drafted by Dutch giant Feyenoord, Hidetoshi Nakata signing on with Italy's Parma and Junichi Inamoto joining Fulham's midfield.

Last July, the Japanese called upon Zico to replace Frenchman Philippe Troussier -- who had guided the Asians to the second round of the World Cup for the first time in history.

But the switch proved difficult and Japan arrived at the Confederations Cup with just one victory in seven matches -- a last gasp 1-0 win over South Korea last month. In its previous tournament, the Kirin Cup, Japan suffered a humiliating 4-1 loss to Argentina, and drew 0-0 with Paraguay.

But while it may be going home early once again, the team has finally displayed its full potential.

"Leaving France, I'm very proud of this team's image," said Zico, whose ultimate goal is to qualify Japan for the next World Cup in 2006 in Germany. "This is a different Japan. We're more aggressive.

"We have to continue working though."

The team was playing without several of its stars, including Ono, the 2002 Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year, sidelined with a bruised calf and left ankle injury; striker Masashi Nakayama, Japan's only goal scorer in the 1998 World Cup, ruled out after hurting his left thigh; Genk striker Takayuki Suzuki and midfielder Takashi Fukunishi, both injured.

 

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