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Japanese fans miffed with World Cup final loss

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Tokyo: It was a miserable Monday morning for Japanese fans as they watched the national football team take a 2-5 pummelling from the US in the Women’s World Cup final played in Vancouver.

Japan’s cautious approach in the opening minutes was punished by the American team who planned to come out of the blocks fastest and score earliest and keep scoring, and that they did, as per reports.

Four goals in just 16 minutes, including the fastest goal in a Women’s World Cup final in the third minute from midfielder Carli Lloyd, who would go on to secure her hat-trick in a thunderous individual performance, proved too much for ‘Nadeshiko’ to handle.

Despite clawing back two through Yuki Ogimi and an own goal credited to Julie Johnston, Japan had little to offer against the Americans.

The US exacted revenge for what was a heartbreaking final four years ago in Germany when they lost to Nadeshiko in a penalty shootout after a nail-biting bout of extra time.

Fans here said that the better team won on the day but couldn’t help expressing their disappointment.

“They knew our game plan too well. We always want to control the pace and play a neat passing game, trying to get the ball wide and then exploiting the gaps — like we did with Ogimi’s goal. But the Americans were having none of it,” Yuki Kobayashi, a 42-year-old IT manager, said.

“From the opening whistle the Americans were hungrier than we were. Technically we’re a better team but that counts for nothing against raw passion and confidence. At 0-2 down in a World Cup final, you’d expect more of a fight, more aggressive defending, but when Lloyd had the audacity to shoot and score from the halfway line… well, you know it’s game over.”

It was a similar story from other fans who had gathered early in the morning at the small watering hole, dedicated to showing live football games.

“They just couldn’t match the Americans’ passion, that was the biggest problem. At the end of the day the team who wanted to win it most, would and we just didn’t seem to want it enough. It was almost as if they felt that getting to the final was enough because Nadeshiko really didn’t show up today,” said dejected marketing salesman Tomoya Shimizu.

“We can’t say in all honesty that each player on the pitch gave 100 percent and that was the difference between us and the Americans. That and Lloyd, she was phenomenal.”

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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