Japanese soccer fans fell into a funk Sunday after the national team lost its first match of the 2014 World Cup against Cote d'Ivoire, after sports stadiums, bars and clubs across the country opened their doors early Sunday to spectators.
"All I can say is that it's frustrating," said Yohei Shiina, a 24-year-old Yokohama resident who joined the crowd at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. Stadium officials said 11,773 people showed up to view the soggy, rain-hit match on two huge screens.
The fans erupted in joy when AC Milan midfielder Keisuke Honda scored the first goal in the 16th minute. Cote d'Ivoire came close to scoring several times in the first half, but Japan somehow kept a clean sheet, putting fans in a cheerful mood at the midway point.