The question of how to catch up to the rest of the world has been a focal point for Japanese soccer for as long as the country has competed on the international stage.
Like many key games before it, Tuesday¡¯s extra-time 1-0 defeat to Spain in the semifinals of the Olympic men¡¯s soccer tournament failed to provide an answer.
That Hajime Moriyasu¡¯s under-24 side stood up to one of the tournament¡¯s strongest lineups for 114 minutes ¡ª even putting the European side on its back feet at several points ¡ª is laudable.
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