Ayase Ueda rues Japan’s World Cup exit after Martinelli’s late strike

In the sterile glow of a Tokyo hotel lobby, Ayase Ueda sat slumped in his chair, staring at the floor. The 25-year-old Feyenoord forward had just watched his Japan side lose 2-1 to Brazil in the World Cup round of 16, a 90th-minute Gabriel Martinelli strike sealing the defeat. "I am truly disappointed," Ueda told after the match. "We wanted to win this tournament. I believe we had a great team with a real chance of becoming world champions. That’s why this result hurts so much." The Samurai Blue had taken a deserved lead against Brazil through a first-half strike, only for Martinelli’s 90+3 winner to shatter their hopes. Ueda described the team’s confidence as sky-high after topping their group behind the Netherlands. "Our team spirit was unmatched and we were incredibly proud of it," he said. "It gave us the feeling that we could overcome any obstacle, no matter how difficult. That’s why we wanted to keep going and achieve even more in this tournament."

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Japan’s World Cup campaign ends with a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the round of 16. Brazil now face either Ivory Coast or Norway in the quarter-finals. Ueda, who plays for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, was visibly shaken by the late turn of events. The Dutch club’s striker had arrived in Qatar with high expectations after a strong domestic season.

Knockout stage: Brazil vs Japan, Germany vs Paraguay, and Netherlands vs Morocco.

The defeat leaves Japan’s World Cup ambitions in tatters, ending their best-ever run at the tournament. Their quarter-final appearance in 2018 remains their previous best. Brazil’s progression to the last eight sets up a clash with either Ivory Coast or Norway, pending the outcome of their round of 16 match.