Japan coach Takeshi Okada feels his work is done despite the team falling short of his lofty goal of reaching the World Cup semi-finals.
Japan were beaten in a penalty shootout by Paraguay on Tuesday after their round of 16 match ended 0-0 following extra time.
“I don’t think I have anything left to do now,” Okada said.
PHOTO: AFP
This was the first time Japan had reached the knockout stage of a World Cup on foreign soil. Japan also reached the second round when it co-hosted the 2002 tournament.
Okada said before the tournament he was targeting a semi-final berth, a bold declaration considering Japan’s mediocre lead-up form.
However, Japan made it past the group stage with wins over Cameroon and Denmark and a narrow loss to the Netherlands.
On Tuesday, the team could find no way past Paraguay’s defense, which has only conceded one goal in four matches. Daisuke Matsui’s 25m shot that rebounded off the crossbar in the 22nd minute was as close as Japan came.
“It is very difficult to narrow down why we didn’t score,” Okada said. “We should have made the opportunities. It is my responsibility.”
“When I look back at what I could have done for the players, as the head coach I should have been more insistent on winning,” he said.
“In terms of how we played, I have no regrets,” Okada said. “No regrets at all. The players have been truly proud at being Japanese and representing Asia as a whole.”
Japan always had Japanese managers until 1992, when Hans Ooft of the Netherlands took the job, followed by Brazil’s Falcao.
Okada was appointed in the 1997-1998 season before a reversion to foreign managers: Philippe Troussier of France, Zico of Brazil and Ivica Osim of Bosnia. Okada then resumed the role in 2007.
Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, who was unable to get a glove on any of Paraguay’s penalties, wants another Japanese coach.
“With a Japanese coach, we can communicate directly,” Kawashima said. “It is an advantage for the Japanese team.”
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino was in floods of tears after his side reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time although he was soon trying to play down the waterworks.
“There’s a lot of fear and tension during a match and it’s difficult to go through a match like that,” he told a news conference.
“Everybody knows that it’s unfair to have it decided by penalties. We didn’t play too well but we were looking to be decisive. So many things go through your mind so there is a reason for tears,” he said.
But, as if to reassert his
authority and set a new target for his players among the emotion, Martino said the achievement meant nothing compared to other personal moments even if it was an almighty success for the small South American nation.
“We may not give the achievement its necessary importance now. We may well give it the necessary importance afterwards,” he said.
“I understand this is a success but when it comes to personal success it comes down to things that are more important,” Martino said. “We certainly know we are among the eight best teams in the world but to say this was one of my top achievements, I couldn’t say that.”
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