HIRATSUKA, Kanagawa Pref. — A year has passed since Japan's Beijing Olympic soccer debacle, but for manager Yasuharu Sorimachi, the wounds healed a long time ago.
The smoke from the Opening Ceremony fireworks had barely cleared before Sorimachi's team was sent packing from China after defeat in all three group games, and the disappointment was palpable in a country that had reasonable expectations of reaching the knockout stage.
But Sorimachi has not allowed the setback to stop him from moving on. Appointed manager of second-division Shonan Bellmare at the start of the season, the 45-year-old has enough on his mind as he attempts to keep his club among the promotion contenders.