Saw very little of this as work rudely got in the way. But from all reports both sides concentrated on not getting beaten rather then going for the win, which is very disappointing, and certainly not in keeping with the way Japan have approached the competition thus far.
In the end it gave us a chance to see the first penalty competition of this World Cup. And it was one where there was no hero, only a villain. The Japanese guy now joins the list of the unfortunates to blast one over the bar and cost his team a place in the next round. Chris Waddle is a member of that group, as is Roberto Baggio. So he's in good company. Well, fairly good.