After a scoreless 120 minutes at Kashima Stadium on Saturday, Japan survived elimination with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout win over New Zealand in their quarterfinal Olympic men’s soccer match.
But the team appeared unfazed by the down-to-the-wire drama, because, at the end of the day, winning was the ultimate goal in the knockout stage.
Despite squeaking out a victory over a country not seen as a traditional soccer powerhouse, Japan’s players are convinced they can win in the next round.