Soccer-Japan depart with big wins but quarter-final dream unfulfilled

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Round of 16 - Japan v Croatia - Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar - December 5, 2022 Japan players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

DOHA (Reuters) - Japan will have much to remember from the World Cup, not least stunning upsets of Germany and Spain in the group stage, but ultimately they fell short of their cherished goal of making the quarter-finals for the first time.

The heartbreaking loss on penalties to Croatia on Monday will not entirely erase the memory of beating two former world champions for the first time but another loss in the last 16 will hurt a team who had been looking to make history.