There was an explosion of elation and relief when the clock hit zero on Sunday at National Stadium in Tokyo.
After 10 failed attempts — in games stretching back to 1989 — a Japanese All-Star team finally managed to overcome the Ivy League’s best on the gridiron in the Dream Japan Bowl.
Decades of disappointment at the hands of American opposition finally came to an end in a defensive struggle that ended with a 10-5 victory for the home side.