TOKYO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Local Japanese fans screamed with joy and triumph during the match between Japan and Belgium in the Group of 16 at the World Cup in Russia, before turning to tears of pain Tuesday.
At local bars and areas set up with screens around Tokyo, the Samurai Blue's highly-vocal following was in good voice for the first half, that saw a fearless Japan chase down every ball with a high defensive line, quickly giving the star-studded Belgium team something to think about.
"We were awesome in the first half, we had energy and passion and were passing the ball around with great technique and vision," Takuma Chiba, 27, a web developer, told Xinhua.
"Japan approached the game aiming to win and despite being thought of as underdogs, for lots of time during the first half, we looked the better team."
Chiba, himself an amateur player, added that every attack that Belgium had was snubbed out by Japanese defenders, despite the size and pace of the Belgium players.
Japan, playing with a new-found sense of desire and reverting back to a regular 4-4-2 formation, gave the Belgium wing-backs little chance to push forward as they were shut resolutely by a Japan team who had clearly studied Belgium's playbook.
"Our players never stopped running, like Yuto Nagatomo and Shinji Kagawa. They really gave us hope and lifted spirits," Koki Yamaguchi, 31, a fashion designer, said.
Japan, in fact went on to open the scoring in the 48th minute and extended their lead two minutes later.
The first was thanks to a laser-guided strike by Genki Haraguchi, which saw Japanese fans leap to their feet and hug people next to them, even if they were strangers, with all the fans cheering "Nippon! Nippon!" in unison.
But when Takashi Inui scored Japan's second just minutes later, set up by play-maker Shinji Kagawa, his bullet of a shot from outside the box - a possible contender for goal of the tournament - saw Japanese fans erupt into an absolute frenzy as, surely, their place for the first time in the quarter finals was a done deal.
"Those goals were world class. I've watched most of the games so far and Inui's goal and the build up play before it is a sign that Japan can compete with the best teams in the world on a global stage," Jun Hirada, 43, an IT consultant, said.
"At that moment, as (we) fans we went nuts, I guess that feeling was something like we'd actually won the World Cup itself, I've never felt so happy," he said.
But Japan's joy would soon turn to anxiety and finally to tears as Belgium's substitutes started to make an impact.
Belgium snatched one back in the 69th minute when Jan Vertonghen lobbed his header over Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima from a seemingly impossible distance and angle.
Five minutes later, Belgium's aerial prowess came into play when Marouane Fellaini headed in a Eden Hazard cross.
"I guess at this point we were all thinking the match could go to extra time, so it was the right time to make a couple of substitutions. We were still very much in the game as Belgium's first goal was a bit lucky and Japan knew that set pieces would be difficult to defend, but they'd defended so well up until that point," Shiori Akiyama, 25, a JFA and England FA qualified coach, told Xinhua.
She added that Japan had done everything right. Pressed hard from the front. Tackled hard. Kept great possession in midfield, played two touch football going forward and taking their chances when they came.
But an end-to-end counter attack from Belgium saw Kevin De Bruyne run 30-yards with the ball at blistering speed and slip the ball to Thomas Meunier on his right.
Meunier squared the ball that was neatly dummied by Romelu Lukaku for Nacer Chadli to finish from close range in the 94th minute and send a nation of Japanese fans to their knees with tears streaming down their faces.
"Well I guess it wasn't to be. But we can be proud. We've always felt like underdogs when it comes to playing big teams from Europe or South America, but we've proven now we can match them. From the first whistle, till the last, we weren't scared and the team played with the kind of passion and intensity needed at this level of the game," Gentaro Fujimi, 32, a logistics manager, told Xinhua.
"I think the national team can return home proud, and world football now, I think, has a new kind of respect for the Samurai Blue," Fujimi said, red-faced and fighting back tears.
"Ganbare Nippon!" (Come on Japan!) He chanted, now in floods of tears, as the emotional choruses by hoards of chocked up fans started again in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Japanese fans commiserated themselves with hugs and through the floods of tears there was a joint sense here that perhaps better things would be in store for the Samurai Blue.
"We saw a different Japan team today. We saw a team that had belief and passion. A team that took risks and was fearless. A team that, on any other day, could have beaten any of the top teams in the world. It just didn't go their way," Sid Lloyd, Managing Director of Footy Japan, told Xinhua.
"Perhaps Belgium just had a little bit more depth and experience in their squad and knew how to use it. But there wasn't much in it," said Lloyd, whose company also runs the chain of British Football Academy soccer schools for budding young players in Japan, and the Tokyo Metropolis League for adults.
"Man for man, Japan, for the best part of that game, was as good as if not better than Belgium. I hope Japan can develop its football going ahead from all these positives and take this confidence and pass it on to grassroots players, as they will be the future of the Samurai Blue," said Lloyd.
