1-0! A penalty in the 123rd minute snatched victory away, Japan's efforts fell short; aiming for the World Cup like this is laughable.

On October 9th Beijing time, the U-20 World Cup round of 16 began in full swing, with a key match just finished. Japan took on France, an Asian strong team against a European heavyweight. Although Japan controlled the game, they couldn't find the net and gave away a penalty by hand in the dying moments. France scored in extra time to win 1-0, knocking Japan out before the quarterfinals. This defeat makes it clear that Japan’s World Cup dreams are still distant and somewhat ridiculous!

Japan is ranked ninth globally, having won all three group stage matches without conceding a goal, showing excellent form and aiming for the championship. In the round of 16, they met France, ranked second in the world, who had a poor group stage but advanced as the best third-placed team. Now, these two teams face off in a fierce battle, with the question of who will prevail hanging in the air!

After the match started, France quickly gained possession dominance but created few threats, while Japan relied on counterattacks and launched relentless attacks against France. However, their shooting was poor, and they failed to score. The second half mirrored the first, with Japan pressing hard but still unable to break through, leading to extra time. Neither side scored for a long period in extra time until, in stoppage time, Japan’s bizarre handball gift gave France a penalty. France converted it easily, sealing a 1-0 victory. Japan’s elimination before the quarterfinals was truly heartbreaking!

It must be said that Japan was extremely unlucky. Facing a French youth team that isn’t even at full strength, they were eliminated by a last-gasp penalty. Japan needs to face reality. While their football is strong, lacking a dominant striker puts them at a disadvantage in knockout stages. At this point, aiming for the World Cup seems somewhat laughable, as European and American teams have both talent and technique in abundance. Japan should focus on reaching the quarterfinals first. Currently, six quarterfinal spots are decided in the U-20 World Cup, with only South Korea remaining from Asia!

Written by / Sports Novel

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