Nadeshiko Japan won the Women's World Cup by defeating the heavily favored United States on Sunday in Frankfurt. It was a great feat. Japan's women's national team became the first Japanese as well as the first Asian team to become the World Cup winner, irrespective of men's or women's soccer.
As Japan reels from the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the team's ascendancy to the world's top position has spurred hope, courage and confidence in Japan, especially among those in the devastated Tohoku region, who are trying to overcome their suffering and setback from the disasters and to reconstruct their areas.
The Japanese and U.S teams should be praised for playing a thrilling and hard-fought game, which riveted people around the world to their TV screens.