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For love of country
Japan, Jamaica seek first World Cup win
Posted: Thursday June 25, 1998 05:16 PM
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Japan hopes its top striker Masashi Nakayama will lead them to their first World Cup victory
(AP) |
LYON, France (AP) --
Oh, the celebrations that will take place if the game doesn't end in a
draw. World Cup debutants Japan and Jamaica will
meet Thursday in a match that is relatively meaningless in the grand scheme
of things at France 98. Both teams lost their first two games, and neither
has a chance of making it to the second round. But, for both
teams -- and for both sets of spirited fans who ventured in masses across
thousands of miles to support a losing cause -- it's a chance like no other
to grab that first-ever World Cup victory before heading home.
"For the Jamaicans and Japanese, it's not a move to the next round -- it's
a move to the next century," Jamaica coach Rene Simoes said. "We aim to end
this World Cup in a very good way, therefore the players should enjoy
themselves." Japan especially has pride on the line. As co-host
of the 2002 World Cup with South
Korea, the Japanese want to justify the tournament's first trip to
Asia. The four representatives from the world's most populous continent
collectively lost their first seven games in France. "We have
to win," midfielder Shinji Ono said. "The other teams are looking down upon
Asia." Jamaica's fans have donned the country's red, black and
green colors and have turned the World Cup into a lively party wherever
they've traveled. They danced and sang in the stands during the team's 3-1
defeat to Croatia and the
5-0 blowout against Argentina.
Maybe Japan's supporters haven't been as noisy, but they've
been just as fervent. And there would be many more of them here had not
12,000 of their countrymen become victims of the massive ticket fraud
scandal that has affected fans from several countries. "The
Japanese and Jamaican people should be proud of their teams," Simoes said.
"Because they are on the biggest stage in the world, and even though they
have not qualified, they've done well." Japan has been the
better team through its first two games, with very respectable 1-0 losses
to both Argentina and Croatia. The players feel if they can just get that
one goal, it would make a world of difference. "If we can score
first," defender Naoki Soma said, "we can play a different kind of game."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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