Japanese Learning, but They Still Lose
It was halftime, and though Japan was already trailing Argentina, 1-0, it was still a seller's market on the road leading to the municipal stadium here.
About 10,000 Japanese fans, some who had paid scalpers more than $1,000 a ticket on Saturday, were already inside and cheering louder than their Argentine rivals. But outside, there were still hundreds of Japanese hoping to find a way into their nation's first-ever World Cup match.
Some were sitting on the sidewalk and holding up crumpled signs in English or French: 'Want ticket,' 'Cherche place.' Others with more energy and hope continued to question any pedestrian they could find. But in the end, supply would not catch up with demand, and Japan would not catch up with Argentina, either.
The goal that striker Gabriel Batistuta scored in the 28th minute today would be the only goal of the afternoon, and it would leave Argentina with 3 valuable points in Group H and Japan with regrets.
'I really don't have any great sentimental feeling about this being our first World Cup match,' said the Japanese coach, Takeshi Okada. 'We all knew that Argentina was stronger than us, but we all believed we still had the possibility to win.'
Argentina had more chances to score today and was much less hesitant to shoot in general, but this was no lopsided match between a South American powerhouse and an overmatched Asian team. Japan's national team is solid, and the influence of the many Brazilians who have played and coached in Japan's domestic league means that Japanese stars like the 21-year-old midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata also know how to please a crowd.
What Japan lacked today was not the ability to defend, pass, dribble or cover ground in a hurry ('they run, run, run,' said Argentina midfielder Juan Veron). Rather, it was the ability to finish, and that is what Batistuta still does as well as anyone in the world, with the possible exception of a Brazilian named Ronaldo.
Since leaving Argentina for the Italian first division in 1991, the 29-year-old Batistuta has scored more than 100 goals for his club, Fiorentina. Though Argentina's coach, Daniel Passarella, chose to leave him off the national team for much of 1997, citing tactical concerns, the perplexed Batistuta ultimately decided against striking back and withdrawing his name from contention. After Passarella brought him back on the team in March, he arrived in Toulouse as his nation's career leading scorer with 38 goals.
He scored his 39th after a forward pass ricocheted off midfielder Hiroshi Nanami and bounced free in the penalty area. Batistuta quickly took control of the ball and, with a ruthlessly efficient swipe of his right foot, pushed it over the outstretched legs of the sliding goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.
'This is a young team,' Batistuta said, 'and we needed to break the ice.'
Only one of Argentina's starters today was over 30 -- defender Roberto Sensini -- but it is not an inexperienced side. Batistuta, Sensini and midfielders Ariel Ortega and Diego Simeone were all members of the Argentine team that began the last World Cup auspiciously by winning its first two matches. But after Diego Maradona was expelled from the competition after testing positive for ephedrine, the destabilized Argentines failed to win another match.
'It was very difficult for all of us to recover after the shock of Maradona's suspension,' Batistuta said recently.
The Maradona era is finally over in Argentina. For the first time since 1978, he is not playing for his nation in the World Cup. Yet despite all the embarrassment he has caused his country and sport in recent years, there were still adoring banners hanging from the stands in Toulouse, declaring in Spanish, 'Diego thanks for everything' and 'Maradona. There will never be another like you.'
The Argentine who now wears No. 10 is Ortega. Like Maradona, he is small and fast and technically gifted, but despite some flashes today, the moments when he was most reminiscent of Maradona were when he was being hacked or pushed to the ground by the hard-tackling Japanese. But this World Cup is trying to be kinder to creative players than World Cups past, and the Japanese paid for their aggression by being called for 35 fouls and receiving three yellow cards.
The Japanese still have much to learn about the world's most popular game, but they and their enthusiastic fans are clearly learning fast. The last time Japan played Argentina was in January 1995 in the Confederation Cup. It lost, 5-1.
'I think Japan can play better than it did today,' Passarella said. 'But I know that Argentina can play better, too. The first match is often one of the hardest, and we got what we wanted: 3 points.'
Croatia Shakes Off Jamaica
LENS, France, June 14 (AP) -- Robert Prosinecki curled in a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area in the 53d minute, breaking a 1-1 tie and leading Croatia to a 3-1 victory over lightly regarded Jamaica tonight.
Prosinecki one-touched a free kick toward the end line to himself and lifted a ball that just skimmed under the crossbar at the far corner of the net.
Davor Suker added another in the 69th minute, and Croatia cruised after struggling in the first half. Croatia dominated possession and the scoring opportunities throughout, but Robbie Earle's header from 8 yards as the teams were heading into first-half injury time gave Jamaica renewed hope.
WORLD CUP '98