The players deserve to come home with their heads held high.”įuji News Network reported a company called Ookami provided sleeping bags for employees who came into work to watch the game.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting Japan to do this well so we should say thanks to the coach. It would’ve been great to win but the players showed us a great game of football,” Shunji Suga, a fan who stayed up all night for the game, told Al Jazeera. Here’s Team #JPN staying on the field after that heartbreaking loss and paying tribute to their fans as their #WorldCup comes to an end /UCOEZ530GDĭespite a 3am kickoff in Japan, the trending hashtag “Nebusoku Japan” which translates to “lack of sleep Japan” ensured a huge following in the country. The team was on track to reach their first quarter-final in three last-16 attempts after going 2-0 ahead early in the second half, only to see Belgium roar back and snatch a 3-2 win with an explosive counterattack deep into stoppage time. Off the field, fans fought back tears and wondered what could have been after their dreams were crushed late on. The fans cleaned up the stadium and the players did likewise in the dressing room before leaving a note saying “spasibo” which translates to “thank you” in English. Japan’s national football team and its fans suffered a massive heartbreak on Monday night, losing to a last-gasp Belgium goal that shattered its hopes of reaching the World Cup 2018 quarter-finals.īelgium, 58 places above Japan in FIFA rankings, scored a 94th-minute winner resulting in elation or the European side and left the sole Asian surviving side in the World Cup thus far devastated.īut before leaving Russia, players and fans ensured they left an indelible mark not only on the tournament, but also followers of the game. Follow Al Jazeera’s coverage of the World Cup 2018 here.

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