But that changed. That changed because Japan wouldn’t fade. Tokyo’s sports bars turned loud — all chanting and spilled beer. And after Japan had won in the penalty kick shootout, Sawa was asked by a television reporter whether she had a message to send back home. “Thank you, everybody,” she said.
Asuka Fujiwara, 30, who had been standing in the sports bar for 21 / 2 hours, held her hand to her heart.
Fujiwara called it “the first uplifting national story in months.”
The Nadeshiko had finished in fourth place at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but the team’s run to the finals this time caught many by surprise. Only about 25,000 girls and women play soccer in Japan — indicative of a country that does too little, critics say, to nurture its female talent. At least in soccer, though, Japan has found a way to capitalize on the talent that enters the system. Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures has a well-organized training academy. National team coaches attend tournaments of girls as young as 12. Those who excel receive relentless coaching.
“The best players just log so much practice time, and they’re taught good technique,” said Tom Byer, who has spent 20 years working to develop youth soccer in Japan. “But the overall pool is still small. When I do clinics with 1,000 kids, maybe 20 are girls.”
For now, the women’s national team has converted fans more than it has inspired future players. Because of the start time, some fans at Tokyo sports bars stayed up all night, switching from beer to water as the sun rose. Other fans tried to catch a few hours’ sleep, setting their alarms for 3 a.m.
At one sports bar in Ebisu, a small pocket of Americans rooted for the United States, but Japanese fans showed no animosity; indeed, the country’s militaries had cooperated in the aftermath of the disaster, and the tightened alliance translated even onto the soccer pitch. Japanese fans said they were rooting for their country, but they weren’t rooting against the United States.
“It’s really touching,” Higaki said, as the women’s team received its trophy. “I thought Japan would lose, but in the end, I wouldn’t change a single moment.”
Special correspondent Sachiko Iwata contributed to this report.
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