[Column]Soccer World Cup, Japan graduated from “good loser” – Reedie – Bloomberg
At the World Cup in Qatar, Japan proved it can do more than clean up stadiums. They also took out powerhouse Spain and Germany.
Even after a shocking come-from-behind victory over four-time World Cup winners Germany in the opening match, it was the off-field activities that got the most headlines. The way the players and fans cleaned up the locker rooms and stadium after the game was particularly noteworthy.
Japan’s obsession with cleanliness is something that the media at home and abroad will report on every time the World Cup is held. Of course, it’s not a malicious report, but compared to the lack of attention to the Japanese national team’s match itself, it feels like it’s looked down on. The Japanese national team’s game performance is now hard to ignore. Captain Maya Yoshida aptly said in a recent interview with NHK.
“In Japan, it’s like ‘Good Luther’, and it’s very beautified, isn’t it? That’s exactly what we were four years ago. When we came back to Japan, everyone praised us, I realized that people have a completely different feeling, and that’s no good.I’m honestly thinking, ‘Good Luther is already good.’ Japan is Good Luzer, and they clean their lockers, and it’s wonderful. To be honest, I don’t care if it was a country or how it’s evaluated.I want to be a winner rather than a good loser.Yes, I want to win.I want to win and create a new history for Japan.I want to see a new landscape. That’s the strongest.”
Despite being in a group known as the “group of death,” Japan, who unexpectedly won the top spot by defeating two powerhouses, should start paying more attention to how football plays rather than how fans behave after games. is.
Yoshida’s words also offer a general lesson for Japan. In Japan, the significance of participating is often overemphasized. The same is true in corporate activities and international politics, where the content of the game is not much of an issue. The days when Japanese companies such as Fujifilm had a monopoly on World Cup advertising are long gone and now appear to be overwhelmed by Chinese companies.The once-strong economy is in a slump, its global importance has waned, and foreign media coverage has gone from positive to clean-focused and meager.sex lifeThere are many stereotypes, even unwelcome content about.
But his sporting achievements over the past 20 years could be something to brag about. Shohei Otani in baseball, Naomi Osaka in tennis, and real world stars are on the rise.
Japan, which has been working on sports development for decades, needs to continue to do so. Croatia, who will face in the first round of the final tournament, was the last runner-up country. But Japan, who beat Spain and Germany, need not fear Croatia, who seems to have passed the peak. If all goes well, their opponent in the quarter-finals will be Brazil, who is one of the top contenders for the title this time. Bookmaker Paddy Power puts Japan’s World Cup win at 81, suggesting the odds are slim. But you should be able to impress people with something other than cleanliness in this week’s worthy battle.
(Reedy Garoud is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. The content of this column does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial department, Bloomberg LP, or the owners.)
Original title:This Japan World Cup Team Does More Than Tidy Up: Gearoid Reidy(excerpt)
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
