Kashima Antlers manager Masatada Ishii hailed his team as an inspiration for the little guy after the J. League champions went down fighting 4-2 against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Antlers almost pulled off one of the greatest upsets in modern soccer history when they took 11-time European champion Madrid to extra time at Nissan Stadium, missing a chance to win it with the last kick of the 90 minutes when Yasushi Endo blazed a shot wide with the score at 2-2.
Cristiano Ronaldo then scored two extra-time goals to complete his hat trick as Madrid finally pulled away to claim the trophy, giving the Spanish aristocrats their second Club World Cup title in three seasons.