Japan bow out of the World Cup

The Japanese players are heading home, but they can do so with their heads held high having made it out of a tough group that many thought they had no chance of surviving. Takeshi Okada's stated aim of reaching the best four was never seen as likely by anybody but the man himself, but his charges have impressed in their last few matches, even yesterday's lacklustre match against Paraguay. Sadly, neither team created many chances and the game ended with more of a fizzle than a bang as Paraguay converted all their penalties to win 5-3. 

A team which looked ineffective and wildly unprepared before the tournament became much more cohesive during it, with one player in particular showing his star status. Keisuke Honda, who currently plays his club football for CSKA Moscow, has been imperious for Japan. How long will it be before clubs from England, Italy or Spain come calling? 

HH