Japan - 1, Russia - 0 The man on the last train out of Yokohama symbolised what Japan's victory over Russia meant for the co-hosts. Out here, in the tradition of the old pink 'uns beloved of football fans of a certain age, they publish newspapers giving results of games so quickly, you can buy them outside the ground on your way home. This particular reader had discarded his shirt and was wearing a copy of the paper, its front page proudly sellotaped to his chest hair, baring the single word headline in English: "victory".
For 10 days the Japanese had watched on their televisions as the Brazilians, the English, the Senegalese, even their hated neighbours the Koreans had had their fun. Now, at last, they could join in; they could honk their car horns, wave their flags, jump in municipal fountains and otherwise celebrate a World Cup win, just like the rest of the world.
Until yesterday's defeat of Russia, they had no idea in Japan if their team was good enough to deliver this sort of exquisite pleasure. Actually it is not just the merits of their team they know nothing about; the nuances of the game as a whole remain a mystery. How else could you explain the enormous cheer that greeted the announcement of the referee's name before this match? But after a gallant, spirited, entertaining win (Japan's first in World Cup finals) the locals are beginning to understand what their team can do. And Arsenal fans will also have learned something about a member of their squad, too. There had been rumours of his existence all last season. Now came the proof: Junichi Inamoto was brilliant, commanding the middle of the field.
He scored a lovely goal, spinning on the penalty spot to slam home a clever pass from Atsushi Yanagisawa (a player whose contribution suggests he will be soon joining Inamoto and Parma's Hidetoshi Nakata on a European club's bench). The goal signalled mayhem inside the Yokohama stadium, eliciting a noise which sounded as though an entire nation had reached orgasm simultaneously. Japan's coach Philippe Troussier suggested afterwards that it was for these fans and their education that his players had performed so well. "I'd like to stress there is a way of playing this game properly," he said. "We want to show these fabulous people the right way, which they deserve after all their support over the last four years."
It was an important match for the Japanese team. Imanato, Nakata and their Brazilian pin-up colleague Alex decorate every Tokyo subway, bus and hoarding, exhorting citizens to buy mobiles, copiers, cameras and life insurance, from a position of football obscurity. The fear was the players would be revealed as hollow vessels in the most exposed place possible: their home turf. "We are isolated from the great footballing nations," admitted Nakata afterwards. "I hope after that game has been shown on televisions across the world people will have noticed us now."
Not that you can miss Nakata's boys. Collectively employing more hair dye than can be found in Elizabeth Taylor's bathroom cabinet, their most visible member is Kazauyuki Toda, with what appears to be a russet-coloured homage to Godzilla running down the middle of his head.
Oddly for a team of tonsorial extroverts, the Japanese play without ego. They cover, run and chase for each other. The big names, Nakarta and Inamoto, selflessly instigate many a pacey attack with their give and gos in the centre circle. While at the back, despite a tendency to be sucked towards the ball in a manner that would cause apoplexy in the manager of Summertown Stars under-10s, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, in his Phantom of the Opera face mask, organised his defence with spirit. And this despite giving away at least five inches to Rusian Pimenov, Russia's lone striker.
Indeed it is the physical deficit that they suffer that will undoubtedly prevent them becoming the sixth host nation to win the World Cup. Aerial bullies like Christian Vieri or Miroslave Klose would have salivated watching Miyamoto and his colleagues flounder under crosses. But for the moment they are still in the tournament. And for hosts so anxious to please, it seems only right they have a few moments of horn-honking, flag-waving, stranger-hugging pleasure of their own. Before reality bites.
YELLOW CARDS: Japan - Miyomoto, K Nakata, Nakayama. Russia - Pimenov, Solomatin, Nikiforov.
SUBSTITUTES
Japan - Fukunishi for Inamoto 84), (Hattori for Ono 74), Suzuki (Nakayama for Suzuki 71) Russia - Beschastnykh for Smertin (57 mins), Khokhlov for Semshov (61 mins), Sychev for Pimenov (45 mins).
