Japan Fans Win Hearts With Devastated Stadium Cleanup, Show This Is the World Cup of Sportsmanship Despite the Cash Grabs

HOUSTON — It is almost impossible to overstate the heartbreak of seeing your World Cup run squashed in the 95th minute, only moments from reaching extra time. Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker, one of the real characters of this World Cup, recognizes this even as he exalts in his team’s win. So Becker comes over to an absolutely devastated Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka, who’s fallen to his knees, and puts his arms around him, patting Tanaka’s shoulders. Over and over again. It is a small gesture, but one that carries plenty of understanding in this unexpected World Cup of sportsmanship.

When FIFA president Gianni Infantino talks about the beautiful game bringing the world together, it comes across as more than a little patronizing. Especially considering the way fans are being gouged by sky high and often opaque ticket prices in this supersized and extra commoditized tournament. But the players and fans are somehow still rising above all that to create real moments of understanding and genuine kindness.

There are the Japan fans standing long after the cruel final whistle, ready to salute the players once they finally pull themselves off the natural grass that’s helped make the Houston Texans’ home look better than it ever has before. Once that final cheering is done, a good 20 minutes after the sudden conclusion of this knockout round classic, then the Japanese fans open up their clear blue plastic trash bags.

This is the start of one of the best traditions in sports. Japanese fans going around the entire stadium, trying to clean up all the trash spewed onto the ground of the stands during the match. On this day, in the wake Brazil’s 2-1 elimination of Japan, several dozen Brazil fans join in on the cleanup.

It’s quite a sight. Fans in Japan blue jerseys and sometimes in elaborate costumes being assisted by fans in Brazil’s ubiquitous yellow jerseys in picking up empty drink cups, discarded wrappers and half eaten hot dogs. But it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Fans have saved this World Cup again and again, their passion, good spirit and decency lifting it above the greed. A record five million plus already have poured into the 16 stadiums being used for this World Cup. With many more matches to go before the July 19th final.

There is a win in that. And an larger win in how largely well they have treated one another. The type of incidents that marred the NBA Finals off the court — some Spurs fans getting attacked in New York City — have been absent from this North American World Cup.

Instead it’s a Japan fan in a golden samurai cleaning up the aisles of one of America’s hulking NFL stadiums.

“Houston treat us awesome,” Japan fan Aiko Shibato tells PaperCity outside of NRG. “So we want to treat Houston well.”

Some gestures translate cultures and the distances that can grow between people. It might remind University of Houston fans with how Jamal Shead cleaned up the kicked over trash after a late loss at Alabama that hinged on a goaltending in the closing seconds that wasn’t called.

Somehow, some way, almost in spite of itself, this World Cup has become the World Cup of sportsmanship. Of moments of helping. And caring about someone you don’t even know.

A Deserved Japan and Brazil World Cup Thriller

Everything at the World Cup is supersized though, spotlighted on a scale that magnifies things on an unmatched level.

So Norway’s Viking Row chant — thousands of fans mimicking they are rowing together in the stands — becomes almost as big a World Cup story as hulking blonde Norwegian goal scoring hero Erling Haaland. Haaland and the Viking Row are in fine form in North Texas on Tursday, taking over Jerry World for another late 2-1 win. It’s the same score as Brazil’s win over Japan in Houston, if not quite the same levels of thrill.

Houston deserved one of the games of the World Cup though, earned it many ways. If you enjoy the blowouts and excitement-less 0-0 tie of the first five World Cup matches that H-Town hosted, you’re likely the kind of person who gets a kick out of seeing Texas A&M football stomp on Samford.

Gabriel Martinelli’s 95th minute strike of beauty to break Japan’s hearts will be one of the enduring moments of this World Cup. Japan’s manager Hajime Moriyasu apologizes to his players, his country’s fans and his country really after Japan does not press for more after taking a surprising 1-0 lead in the first half.

“To win the title was our dream and our goal and we couldn’t achieve that,” Moriyasu says in his postgame press conference. “As a head coach I told them that I was really sorry that I was not good enough to lead them to that level. To achieve that goal.”

Maybe not. But you know what? Casual sports fans are liable to remember the images of crushed Japan fans cleaning up a stadium even longer.

Somehow, some way, almost in spite of itself, this World Cup has become the World Cup of sportsmanship. Of moments of helping. And caring about someone you don’t even know.

Japan fans used those trash bags as drums during the match with Brazil, pounding on the puffed up bags. Then they used them to make a very different kind of noise.

The sound of this beautiful World Cup in many ways.