International Football
Fans lament end of Japan’s brave run in World Cup
Japan supporters lamented the team’s 3-1 penalty shootout loss to Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar, crushing their nation’s dream of advancing to the quarter-finals.
Some Samurai Blue fans watched the match in a Tokyo sports bar, undeterred by the rain and a midnight start. They booked their seats at the bar in hopes of witnessing Japan reach the last eight for the first time, but were sorely disappointed.
“My mind went blank … I had no emotion whatsoever,” 21-year-old university student Shun Hasegawa said on Tuesday with tears welling up in his eyes as he described the moment Japan lost the shootout.
“The match was decided by a penalty kick, so it was a 50-50 chance for Japan to win or lose. I think penalty shootouts are a bit like a random draw … it’s just so frustrating to think that there was a 50% chance that Japan could have won,” he added.
Fans in turn clutched at their hair and whelped with joy as they watched Japan open the scoring through Daizen Maeda in the 43rd minute, before an equaliser by Croatia’s Ivan Perisic left the two teams deadlocked at 1-1 until the penalty shootout.
Spot kicks by Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida were all kept out by Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic. Ultimately, a stunned silence fell when the Croatians secured the win as Mario Pasalic sent Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda the wrong way.
“It was so fun to watch from start to finish, and it really left an impression on me,” said 35-year-old Ryosuke Kabe.
“Every single player put everything they had on the line. It was moving to watch them all fight with everything they had.”
The Samurai Blue had staged a stunning turnaround against Spain to reach the knockout rounds for the fourth time by topping their group after they started the tournament with a comeback win over Germany before losing to Costa Rica.
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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