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Eiji Kawashima can shut his eyes and instantly be taken again to his first World Cup expertise.
The goalkeeper was 19, sitting someplace excessive above the motion at Saitama Stadium as Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo labored wonders with the ball earlier than Ronaldo ducked out and in of two Turkish defenders and hit a shot, deftly however precisely, with the surface of his proper foot for the 2002 World Cup semi-final’s lone purpose.
Round Kawashima, the followers in yellow jerseys danced in elation, and people in crimson jerseys hung their heads.
Being enthralled was all half and parcel of the World Cup expertise for Kawashima, one in all Japan’s nationwide staff goalkeepers. In 2002, he may envision a profound, new future in worldwide soccer that he wished to be a part of.
“It was a very good expertise for us to really feel the World Cup,” Kawashima stated, reflecting not solely on his expertise as a younger Japanese participant when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, however as a de facto spokesperson for a technology of Japanese gamers.
Earlier than then, with the J1 League somewhat over 10 years outdated, and with out publicity to the highest worldwide gamers on this planet within the flesh, a number of members of Japan’s nationwide staff imagine high-end worldwide soccer felt out of attain for younger gamers of their nation.
And just about the identical might be stated for fellow co-hosts South Korea. They’d certified for the earlier 4 World Cups earlier than co-hosting, however have been hardly spectacular, by no means managing a win.
Japan followers unfurl a shirt and flag towards Turkey (Picture: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Pictures)
In 2002, they went on a shock run to the semi-finals and within the subsequent 4 World Cups, solely went winless as soon as.
This 12 months, Japan and South Korea made it out of the group stage on the identical World Cup for simply the second time. Japan misplaced on penalties to Croatia and South Korea misplaced 4-1 to event heavyweights Brazil however they each emerged from tough teams.
20 years after Japan and South Korea co-hosted the World Cup, it’s price questioning: what’s the legacy of the primary World Cup hosted exterior Europe and the Americas?
And shifting ahead, what (if something) can the United 2026 bid, specifically an rising soccer nation similar to Canada, study from that legacy?
Getting the World Cup exterior of the Americas and Europe had lengthy been a precedence of FIFA earlier than 2002. That’s in response to Patrick Nally, thought of one of the vital necessary folks within the historical past of sports activities advertising, and a longtime associate with FIFA who labored with them to know the viability of Japan and South Korea co-hosting the 2002 World Cup. Nally later teamed up with the organizing committee of Japan’s failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Nally stated FIFA noticed Japan as an necessary industrial associate whereas additionally viewing the nation as inside its growth attain (FIFA wished to step up progress in Africa and Asia). Whereas Japan emerged with a powerful bid to host in 2002, South Korea’s bid some inside FIFA. After some continued work behind the scenes to carry the 2 bids collectively, the joint bid was unanimously voted in.
Because the 2002 World Cup kicked off, a groundswell of home help emerged.
“Koreans are very happy with co-hosting the World Cup,” stated South Korean sports activities journalist Hyunho Lee. “Many individuals will say that the World Cup was essentially the most united the nation has been. Korea may be very economically and politically divided and really dynamic. However in 2002, all folks have been united due to the World Cup. Even individuals who didn’t like soccer liked soccer at the moment.”
Lee claims that due to the World Cup, many South Korean gamers have been catapulted into mainstream consciousness as a result of firms used gamers in promoting in a method they hadn’t beforehand, placing them alongside the nation’s movie and pop stars by way of home significance.
Issues weren’t all that completely different in Japan.
Japanese sports activities journalist Kumi Kinohara stated what she remembers from the 2002 World Cup have been “the adjustments in (Japan).”
Road performers on the World Cup in Korea in 2002 (Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Pictures)
Japan’s J-League had been based in 1992 however Kinohara stated soccer had a largely regional viewers.
“Japan was probably not often called a soccer nation earlier than that,” stated Kinohara. “However by co-hosting that occasion, (curiosity in soccer) unfold to each nook of the nation. Folks acknowledge soccer, they usually discovered it’s a really attention-grabbing incident and an entertaining sport. So folks fell in love with that.”
Crucially, the entry to world-class worldwide soccer sparked curiosity in a younger technology of gamers that had beforehand solely been uncovered to the J-League and Ok-League, which have been solely well-liked on a provincial degree.
That crop of children included Kawashima, who at that time was competing within the J2, the second tier of Japanese soccer, with Omiya Ardija.
“We may see somewhat bit additional,” stated Kawashima.
And that publicity to worldwide soccer ended up impacting the veteran Japanese and South Korean groups at this 12 months’s World Cup.
Lee introduces a time period that he says is broadly acknowledged all through South Korea — “the 2002 children”. Co-hosting the World Cup allowed gamers to visualise international success in a method they hadn’t beforehand.
“When children have been younger in 2002, all of them began watching the World Cup,” stated Lee. “We began to dream that we may play within the World Cup sometime.”
Lee is requested which South Korean gamers on this present staff might be thought of “2002 children”. He furrows his forehead after which factors to a stage the place minutes later, 30-year-old Korean left again Kim Jin-su will communicate on behalf of the Korean staff in a press convention. Kim turned 10 through the 2002 World Cup, and with a median median age of 27.5, this present South Korean staff was the seventh-oldest on the World Cup.
Led by 30-year-old talisman Son Heung-min, it’s possible to imagine that every one however 5 of the gamers on the staff would have been sufficiently old to have watched the 2002 World Cup in Korea and been impressed by seeing worldwide soccer up shut.
Although we are able to’t precisely name this Korean staff a part of a golden technology, we are able to say the youngsters of 2002 are alright. They have been witness to one of many nice surprises in World Cup historical past.
“We need to relive that second for ourselves,” stated Kim Jin-su when requested what the legacy of co-hosting the World Cup is on this staff proper now.
After that shock run, South Korea have constantly improved within the World Cup. That’s impacted the Japanese aspect as properly.
Davies and Canada misplaced all three video games on the World Cup however did properly to qualify (Picture: Matthias Hangst/Getty Pictures)
Japanese gamers imagine elevated competitors within the Asian Soccer Confederation stays the legacy of internet hosting the World Cup.
“It was an enormous occasion for South Korea. In that event, they have been one of many strongest groups. They pulled up the extent of Asian and we tried to go up with them. And now, all people is pulling one another up,” stated Japanese goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt, who was 10 years outdated when Japan co-hosted the World Cup.
As each groups went previous the group stage in 2002, Japanese kids have been capable of see with their very own eyes that Japan and South Korea may compete with a few of the world’s finest. Twenty years in the past, Japan completed on the prime of their group, forward of Belgium, Russia and Tunisia.
One other ingredient to the legacy of co-hosting the World Cup is the idea Japanese gamers gained in their very own soccer talents, which was nonetheless evident on this World Cup as they got here again from deficits to topple Germany and Spain.
“We felt assured as a result of Japan and South Korea went into the knockout stage (in 2002), so we felt assured about our nation’s soccer. It was a very good factor to have it,” stated Schmidt.
And that’s one other ingredient of the legacy of co-hosting the 2002 World Cup that Schmidt desires to clarify.
“It was an enormous occasion for South Korea,” he stated, nodding his head in order that anybody close to him understood the purpose he was making.
Earlier than 2002, solely two Asian groups had ever made it out of the primary spherical of the World Cup: North Korea certified for the quarter-finals within the 16-team 1966 World Cup earlier than Saudi Arabia made it to the primary knockout spherical in 1994.
South Korea’s run in 2002, supported by a speedy fanbase, raised eyebrows all over the world. However a extra pertinent influence was felt in their very own continent, the place different Asian nationwide groups acknowledged not solely what an Asian staff was able to, but in addition that they must make investments much more in their very own participant growth to take care of quickly bettering Asian groups.
“In that event, South Korea have been one of many strongest groups,” stated Schmidt. “They pulled up the extent of Asian soccer and we tried to go up with them. And now, all people is pulling one another up.”
“Prior to now, getting by way of the Asian qualification appeared simple. However now, it’s not,” he continued. “When three groups get into the knockout stage, all people will understand how onerous it’s for Asian groups to get by way of qualification. Possibly lots of people can pay respect to Asian folks.”
Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu stated earlier than their round-of-16 match that for Japan to progress within the event sooner or later, the Japan Soccer Affiliation “has been attempting to create the proper circumstances to provide good younger gamers”. That features sending Japanese coaches overseas to check from different golf equipment and international locations. That would assist Japan increase the requirements in Asia in addition to domestically.
“Until we ourselves can win within the World Cup, we can not lead different international locations,” stated Moriyasu.
Main as much as 2002, Japan and South Korea have been rising on the world stage. That the soccer tradition and on-field outcomes have been altered in Japan and South Korea by internet hosting the 2002 World Cup needs to be inspiring to one of many 2026 co-hosts, Canada.
Canada certified for his or her first World Cup in 36 years and regardless of coming to Qatar with promise, their lack of expertise was evident of their three losses. Might 2026 be the event when the impact of co-hosting turns into evident?
We all know many decision-makers inside Canadian soccer cited the enhancements South Korea and Japan made on the worldwide stage after establishing their very own home leagues was cited as a motive to create the Canadian Premier League, which kicked off in 2019.
And we all know the game of soccer gained traction in Japan and South Korea after 2002. It’s not unreasonable to imagine the identical influence may occur in Canada, the place soccer appears ripe to problem hockey instead on the home sports activities throne.
It’s early, but when Japan and South Korea have confirmed something, it’s that the optimistic influence of co-hosting a World Cup will be felt, ultimately.
“By them internet hosting the World Cup, it has cemented the muse and given them correct progress and growth of the game,” stated Nally, “which is what was all the time supposed.”
(High photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Pictures)
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