Moriyasu took responsibility for Japan's dramatic exit from the 2026 World Cup

The Japanese national team once again stopped short of a historic achievement. Despite the fact that the Japanese were leading, they conceded a decisive goal in stoppage time. However, after the final whistle, the main topic was not another lost victory, but a strong and frank speech by the head coach of the team, Hajime Moriyasu, who took full responsibility for this defeat. After the match, the coach of the Japanese national team did not look for excuses in refereeing or failure. Instead, he urged his players to remember the pain of defeat and use it as fuel for future victories. "Winning the title was our dream and goal, but we couldn't achieve it. As head coach, I told them that I was very sorry that I wasn't good enough to take them to that level to achieve that goal," Hajime said frankly. According to Morias, the bitterness of this moment should become the foundation for the team's further growth. He stressed that although this time the goal remained unattainable, Japan will continue to work for success at the next world championships. This is the third tournament in a row where Japan leads in the knockout stages but collapses. In 2018, there was a tragedy with Belgium (from 2:0 to 2:3), in 2022 — a penalty shootout defeat by Croatia. Even before the game, Moriasu philosophically remarked: "I don't think history will be kind to us. But if we win today, maybe we'll see a time when history changes." And although it was not possible to rewrite the history of this evening, the coach sees an undeniable positive in the quality of the play of his wards. Goalkeeper Zaion Suzuki made four super saves as the team battled to a draw against one of the tournament favorites. "The gap between us is closing now. Brazil is a top-level team and we are definitely getting closer to that level. We just need to improve our game," Moriyasu emphasized, assessing the team's performance. While the coach took fire on himself, the fans in Japan, despite it being 4 o'clock in the morning local time, met the defeat with incredible pride. There was no criticism of Moriyasu or the players outside Tokyo Tower, where the crowd of fans had gathered.