The city of Nagasaki is the hometown of Director Moriyasu and captain Yoshida, and a public viewing was held in conjunction with the Japanese national team game to boost the team.
Although it was early in the morning, more than 70 local fans gathered at the venue, the Nagasaki Municipal Hall, to cheer them on.
In the first half of the game, when Spain scored the opening goal, the audience let out a big sigh.
However, in the second half, substitute Doan Ritsu’s powerful strike equalised, and the crowd immediately stood up and clapped their hands for joy. When Tanaka pushed Midori in and scored the winning goal, the crowd erupted in cheers.
In the final stages of the game, Yoshida showed the local team a strong defensive effort, and the cheers were especially loud.
The game ended as it was, and when it was decided that Japan would advance to the final tournament, the people in the venue stood up and gave a big ovation to the team who came from behind to win.
A man in his 30s who was cheering with a message saying, “Yoshida and Moriyasu, the pride of Nagasaki,” said I wrote this to convey my feelings to the two people from Nagasaki. I hope they aim to be the best in the world, I was talking.
Yuji Yokota, chairman of Yoshida’s fan association, said, “I never thought we would come from behind, so it was a great game. I think Yoshida’s experience of working hard overseas has been useful in the game today. I’m very proud,” he said.
