The disappointment was palpable.
Following a string of limp group-stage performances, Nadeshiko Japan had been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics against a backdrop of empty seats at Saitama Stadium, capping a dismal showing for the host nation that laid bare Japan’s numerous shortcomings.
For many, that night in July 2021 illustrated just how far the Japanese women’s game had fallen and served as confirmation that the 2011 World Cup winners could no longer be considered a global powerhouse.