From: Hildegaard Beauregard [ljlife@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 2:23 AM
To: Lee Jerome Life
Subject: Japan falls

Reporting from World Cup Watch Central.

On the day when both co-hosts have their first
elimination round matches in World Cup history, in the
first one, Turkey eliminated Japan, 1-0.

Turkey got a header from Umit Davala off a corner kick
in the 12th minute and that was the difference. Both
teams attacked well in the early going, and continued
an aggressive pace through the first half. But in the
misty weather, Japan looked listless and uncoordinated
in the second half. Although they got the ball
frequently and advanced on the Turkish goal, they
could not put together a serious threat at the scoring
end. Turkey disrupted Japanese possession throughout,
often with rough tackling. The tenacious marking never
allowed Japan the dangerous runs or passes they'd made
in their draw with Belgium and their wins over Russia
and Tunisia.

But despite the disappointment apparent in the crowd
at Miyagi Stadium, some of them weeping, Japan had its
greatest accomplishment in international competition,
winning its group and advancing to the second stage.
They served notice, along with co-host Korea, that
Asia now has competitors on the level of Europe and
South America.

Turkey, meanwhile, continues with its own development
on the world scene. The nation that had only been to
the World Cup once before in 1954, but has become a
force recently in Europe in both professional club
competition and national competition, now advances to
the quarterfinals of the World Cup. There they will
meet another upstart, Senegal, the only African team
remaining, in its first World Cup.

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