Japan motivated to further cement program with World Cup win

VANCOUVER — Norio Sasaki believes the United States and Japan meeting in the World Cup final is "fate."

Sunday marks the third time these countries will play in a title game, with the Japanese winning the 2011 World Cup on penalty kicks and the Americans taking the gold medal in the London Olympics a year later.

Few things motivate the U.S. more than that loss four years ago. Abby Wambach knows July 17, 2011 off the top of her head, and it's why Carli Lloyd has perfected her penalty kicks. Sixteen years is a long time to go without a World Cup, so it makes sense the loss to Japan would sit with the U.S. until it could be avenged in some way.

But there's a side to this matchup not often discussed. What a win means to the Japanese, who approach the final with motivation equal to the Americans — but for different reasons.

Sasaki, who has coached the national team since 2008, said Saturday his squad wouldn't have grown or achieved the success it's had over the last four years — World Cup title, Olympic silver medal, No. 4 world ranking — without help from the USA.

This is why Japan didn't want to play anybody else in the final. It needs another go at the U.S. to see if the program is still moving in the right direction.

"We have a very high motivation because we're not playing other teams," Sasaki said. "But because we're playing the U.S."

Before the 2011 World Cup, when Japan wasn't the world power it is today, a Pia Sundhage-led American squad invited the team for several friendly games. And in 2012 before the Olympics, the U.S. flew to Japan for more friendlies and joint practice sessions.

"We were in a tough situation," Sasaki said. "And the U.S. helped us in playing us, and that way we were able to grow and learn a lot of things in those games. I'm grateful for this opportunity and also feel this is fate because we always play in the final against the U.S."

After those two years, soccer flourished in Japan. Sporting goods stores always sold women's soccer jerseys and hung life-size posters of the players. But interested has dipped since.

Sasaki calls playing the U.S. a "privilege" and an "honor," but winning consecutive World Cups would help the Japanese program and the state of the sport in the country.

"When we won the World Cup, people began to take notice of soccer in Asia," captain Aya Miyama said. "If we can win again, we can make an impact on young girls who want to start playing soccer and we can leave a legacy.

"I hope by winning the World Cup, we can make soccer part of our culture in Japan, not just a fad."

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