There was jubilation and praise early Monday for the national soccer team that defeated the United States in a penalty shootout to win the Women's World Cup final in Germany.
"We fought until the very end, I didn't stop running," team captain Homare Sawa said, in an interview with Japanese media. "I've been fighting to be number one for so long -- this just seems unreal to me."
The team dedicated the tournament to victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which killed 25,000 people. Their unlikely success temporarily knocked news about radiation off the front pages.
Japanese refer to th
e team as “Nadeshiko,” a pink flower that symbolizes purity and femininity in Japan.Football fan Kazuhiro Teramoto calls it a wonderful moment for the troubled country. "Our national team demonstrated Japan’s tenacity, and the victory will energize us".
Keiko Muranao says she stayed up all night to watch the match. “We were able to show that we are strong and we are hanging in there and we will rebuild our nation as soon as possible”.
Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told reporters the victory is encouraging to those working in the northeastern part of the country helping it recover from devastation.
Ironically, one of the defenders on the Japan squad, Aya Sameshima, previously worked at the crippled Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.
More than four months after the disasters, thousands of evacuees remain in shelters, while nearly 100,000 people have been displaced because of radiation concerns.
Japan's Homare Sawa (L) and head coach Norio Sasaki and pose with trophies Photos: Reuters and AP
