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Japan failed to reach the World Cup quarter-final but the amazing wins over Germany and Spain point to a brighter future
Japan deserve credit
Japan were eliminated by Croatia in the last 16 on Monday in the most heartbreaking manner, going out on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
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It was the fourth time Japan had exited at the first knock-out stage, denying them a chance to go further in a competition in which they had been one of the best performers.
Despite being underdogs, the four-time Asian champions showed that they can compete with the best teams in Qatar, beating both Germany and Spain.
Bright future for Japan's young talent
Coach Hajime Moriyasu said it was not possible to "turn into Superman overnight" but he believes Japan are on the right path.
"We were not able to overcome this hurdle of losing in the last 16 and you might say that we did not achieve anything new," he said.
"But the players have shown us something that we had not seen before by beating former champions like Germany and Spain."
The number of European-based players in the Japan World Cup squads has steadily increased since they made their tournament debut in 1998 with an entirely domestic-based selection. Moriyasu picked 19 foreign-based players in his 26-man squad for Qatar, including eight who ply their trade in the German Bundesliga.
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Japan had six players in the group stages of the Champions League this season and Daichi Kamada won the Europa League last season with Eintracht Frankfurt. Midfielder Wataru Endo, who captains Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, said he wants to see Japan have enough European-based players.
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