The most beautiful thing about Japan in this year's world cup in South Africa is not that they won against Cameroon and Denmark and conceded only 1 goal to Holland. Nor is it because they almost made it to the quarter -finals or that they gave us reasons to believe that, one day, Japan will make it to the semi-finals.
It was because the team, Samurai Blue, showed what a written-off team can do when they become ONE.
After losing to Paraguay on penalty kicks, the most common remark made to reporters by team members and coach alike was, "I had wanted to play one more match with this team..."
Samurai Blue had become a real team together - from the coaches and the players on the pitch to every single player on the bench. Everyone had given every ounce he had to help the team succeed.
But the best was yet to be...
I felt humbled by the team members attitude towards Yuichi Komano, the 3rd of the Samurai Blue to take the penalty kick and missed.
When Paraguay won - and Japan lost - and the players slowly got up from the kneeling position on the ground, Komano was left kneeling there, completely dejected, broken and ashamed. But his team mates came up one by one to comfort him. Matsui Daisuke kept his arm around Komano's shoulder, hugging him and weeping with him.
"I never cry, but when I saw Komano looking so sad, I couldn't stop crying," he said.
And he said to Komano, "I would have missed it too."
Marcus Tulio Tanaka, another Japanese player, said the same, "I'd have missed that one if I had taken it." He was scheduled to take last one of the 5 penalty kicks but never needed to.
If I were there, would I have said, " I'd have missed too"? Or would I more likely have said, "We could've won if not for Komano..."
I am learning to be like Samurai Blue.
http://videos.wittysparks.com/id/3329024202
