TOKYO Wholesale MLB Hats , June 25 (Xinhua) -- All hopes of Japan progressing to the last 16 of the World Cup were dashed Tuesday, as the Asian champions' last ditch efforts were thwarted by a clinical Colombian side who sealed the Samurai Blue's fate with a 4-1 drubbing.
The South Americans had already qualified for the knockout stages before a ball was even kicked in Cuiaba, but Colombia stormed into the second round of football's biggest competition with a perfect record, having won all their games in Group C.
In stark contrast, Alberto Zaccheroni's men will return to Japan having only scored two goals and earning just a single point, in an overall performance that has left Japanese fans disillusioned and coach Zaccheroni possibly looking at the end of his four year stewardship.
""Going into this game we knew our chances to progress to the last 16 were very slim Wholesale MLB Hoodies , especially considering how in-form Colombia are,"" Kenichi Shimazu, a member of the Samurai Blue supporters club told Xinhua.
""But we expected a better showing from Japan in their final game, to play with a bit more pride and passion for all the fans that have shown their support. Despite giving away a penalty, there were chances that should've been taken in the first half that weren't,"" Shimazu said.
""We got caught on the back foot in the second-half Wholesale MLB Shirts , as we have in previous games, and saw key players underperform, which is something that Zaccheroni should've put right after we lost our first game 2-1 to Cote d'Ivoire,"" said Shimazu.
Questions will undoubtedly be asked by the Japan Football Association (JFA) of Zaccheroni's decision making and ability to motivate his players and have them stick to a game plan. The manager himself after the Colombia game conceded that his players had not performed to the level he expected of them and said that his future with the national team would be discussed with the relevant authorities upon his return to Japan.
""Now we will go back to Japan and after that I will speak with the management and we will let you know whether or not I will stay. I think it is only appropriate to discuss this with the team first before anything is disclosed,"" Zaccheroni was quoted as telling local media after the game in Cuiaba.
""My opinion of the team's performances in three games here is not a positive one. I think we left a lot to be desired in our first two matches. We picked up in the third match but were forced to play for everything. We were either in or out and had to win against the strongest team in the group and a team that has the potential to go far in this tournament,"" the Italian said.
But it was an intensity the Samurai Blue failed to maintain consistently through their Group C games Wholesale MLB Jerseys , in contrast to Colombia and especially considering second-placed Greece scored only two goals, conceded four, earning them just 4 points and a single win in the group.
As was a running theme for Japan in the competition, numerous chances were missed going forward, with Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Yoshito Okubo all squandering chances in the first half that could have changed the game.
""There's a great deal of responsibility that rests on the shoulders of Japan's 'superstars Wholesale Hats ,' but at the same time, these are the players that can turn a game and have the talent and experience to do so and inspire the rest of the team and lift the fans,"" Kohki Nakajima, an Urawa Red Diamonds fan, told Xinhua in a post-match debrief.
""As a Japanese fan I really want to believe the team did its best, but honesty speaking Wholesale Hoodies , I don't think they did and I'm disappointed, especially with Kagawa -- I expected a lot more from him, and think Zaccheroni should've been more proactive about making substitutes earlier, when the team needed fresh legs or to deal with the oppositions' tactical changes,"" Nakajima said.
""When we were first drawn in Group C alongside Cote d'Ivoire, Greece and Colombia Wholesale Shirts , everyone thought the group was one of the most open in the competition. I personally didn't think we'd top the group in the end, but probably along with the rest of the nation, I felt like Japan should be able to beat both Cote d' Ivoire and Greece -- we should've done better defensively against Cote d'Ivoire and the game against Greece was just embarrassing,"" said Nakajima.
Japan did, to an extent, lift their game against Colombia Wholesale Jerseys , but again, it was too little too late. Having conceded a penalty in the first half, the team responded with almost the last kick of the ball before the restart, through a well-worked goal that saw Honda's cross met by the towering head of Shinji Okazaki who beat Colombia's David Ospina at his near post.
But having had the majority of possession in the first half and numerous scoring opportunities, it was, in light of previous games Cheap MLB Hats Free Shipping , almost inevitable that Japan would concede again in the second half. And concede they did. In fact they had no answer to Colombia' s James Rodriguez who was brought on at half-time, and went on to set up two goals for Jackson Martinez, and scored a late fourth goal himself, deftly chipping the ball over a hapless Eiji Kawashima, to definitively send the Samurai Blue packing.
Zaccheroni himself admitted that there was a certain inevitability about the second-half, with the manager probably wishing he'd taken more note of how vulnerable Japan is in defense when they allow teams too much room to attack.
""Rodriguez was able to tap into the need that we had to attack. It was just inevitable that we would give away space and they were very good at making use of that space at the right time. We didn't have any alternatives really. We had to try and win Cheap MLB Hoodies Free Shipping ,"" Zaccheroni was quoted as saying.
As the Japan team will be packing their suitcases ahead of a long flight home to what will probably be a lukewarm reception from fans here, Colombia will go on to play Uruguay in the Maracana on
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