TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese fans were disheartened and disappointed after the Blue Samurai came back down to earth with a bump in a 1-0 defeat to the Netherlands at the World Cup.
Some 25,000 fans, mostly wearing blue shirts to match the team colours, gathered at Tokyo Dome to see live television coverage of the match in Durban, South Africa.
Still jubilant from their historic 1-0 victory over Cameroon, fans were waving national flags and roaring in chorus: "Nippon, Nippon (Japan)," as Japan battled through the first-half.
But there were groans of despair after Wesley Sneijder scored the winner in the second-half for the highly rated Dutch.
"It was so close," said a disappointed Atsushi Kojima, 28.
Fans, however, said they were feeling upbeat for the vital final group match against Denmark.
"The Netherlands were not as strong as we had expected," said an exhausted Taisuke Watanabe, 31, lying on the field after the match.
"I will cheer Japan in the Denmark match like crazy," Watanabe added. "Shunsuke (Nakamura) was not playing well today. If he can play well next, I'm confident that we are going to win for sure."
