Amid the regret and frustration of Japan's elimination from the Women's World Cup, coach Futoshi Ikeda sought solace in the lessons learned by his youthful team as it restored faith in the Nadeshiko project.
The Japanese failed to add another World Cup final appearance to those from 2011 and 2015 as Sweden's 2-1 victory in Auckland on Friday left many of Ikeda's players sobbing uncontrollably on the Eden Park turf.
It was a bitter disappointment for a vibrant team that had breezily scythed through opponents in the group phase.
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