World Cup 2010: Japan Screams (Literally) in support of Japanese WC Team
The greatest prize in football is up for grabs, as the World cup is set to get rolling on the 11th of June in South Africa.
Teams competing in the event have started assembling in the country, and the excitement is unparalleled.
Just like other Football World Cups, this year’s tournament has captured the attention of fans all across the world, who are eager for the action to start.
Asia has also been hit by the World Cup fever, and one of the regional powers, Japan, is also bracing for the greatest sporting show in the world.
The fans of the “Blue Samurai”, the name given to the Japanese team, have started to warm up for the forthcoming championship by holding a screaming competition in Tokyo. The unique competition is their way of wishing their best to their national team.
The competition, organised by one of the sponsors of the national team, VISA, attracted a large crowd, with participants judged on their ability to scream the word "goal" or some other phrase.
The goal of the competition was for locals to show their support for the national team, besides vowing that they would stand by their heroes even if they fail to deliver much in the tournament.
One by one, fans screamed at their loudest pitch in a bid to make an impression on the organisers of the competition.
Some of the fans also saw this as an opportunity of venting out their frustration at the dismal performance of the national team in their warm-up matches for the World cup.
Midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was the target of the agitation expressed by some of the fans, as his performance was well below par in the match, and the poor midfielder score an own goal, contributing to the team’s 2-1 defeat by England in Austria on Sunday.
"Silly Nakamura!", a fan screamed.
Katsuya Saito was one of the fans, who participated wearing a World Cup pattern neck-tie, and he thought that the Japanese fans were ready to yell and scream for their team.
"At this point, we are all high-spirited and ready to support them," he said.
"So I'd like to believe in us and see us fight."
The competition was part of a "Goal Days" series of events, and VISA gift cards were awarded as a prize to the most unique, the longest and the loudest performances amongst the frenzied crowd gathered in large numbers.
Ninety one people took part in the contest, with Norio Nakayama winning the prize for his long performance, as he screamed the word "goal" for just over 32 seconds.
The winner feels that his national team has a fair chance of doing well in the competition where they are placed in Group E. Their opponents in the group are Cameroon, Netherlands and Denmark.
"The ball is round and everything may happen," he said.
"I'd like them to win at least once and overcome the group stage. Of course I'd like them to do their best and be h**l-bent on winning," he added.
Former international player Shoji Jo was also on hand to show his support for the team he was once a part of. Jo played as Forward from 1995 to 2001, making 35 caps and scoring 7 goals for Japan during that time.
"I hope they are determined and enjoy the World Cup," he said. "Also, I'd like them to do their best and show what the real Japanese style is about."
Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 against Cameroon at the Free State Stadium, South Africa.
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