On March 11th 2011 the 5th biggest earthquake since 1900 hit Japan and sent aftershocks over the country. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami that accelerated to a speed of 500 miles per hour and endangered Japanese citizens living on the coast who only had 8 minutes to escape. In the natural disaster over 25,000 people died.
Being half Japanese the earthquake shook my family and me. I watched the news and saw the country where I spent my early years washed away.
“It was a shock” my grandpa, Tsunenori Ito, who lives in Japan said. “The whole house was rattling and everything was spilling. We knew it was bad so we fled the house into a parking lot”
Into this realm the Japanese women’s soccer team started to train for the 2011 Women’s World Cup. After the earthquake the Japanese team couldn’t practice because there wasn’t electricity to light their fields. When they came to the US in May to start scrimmaging, they were clobbered again and again. When the tournament started, the team was fighting against all odds.
In order to get into the finals of the World Cup, Japan (ranked 4th) had to beat Germany (ranked 2nd) and Sweden (ranked 5th). After that, Japan faced their biggest challenge yet, the US team: ranked 1st. In the 25 times Japan and the US have played, Japan has never won. Going into the match, the US was heavily favored.
The game started and it seemed the US was once again going to push the Japanese aside. Shot after shot were fired at the Japanese goal and it seemed that Japan was never going to gain any momentum. But the Japanese held on as the US shots bounced off the cross bar or narrowly missed. The Japanese walked off the field at halftime lucky to be tied 0-0.
In the 69th minute the US finally found the back of the net. It seemed like the goal would be enough to give the US the victory.
But the Japanese team kept fighting and during a scrappy play in the 81st minute they pushed the ball past the American goalie, Hope Solo, to find the net. The goal was scored by Aya Miyama. Miyama’s family lived where the earthquake hit. She had lost relatives and friends to the quake.
In an interview before the game she said that she “wants to live happily for them on behalf of the loved ones she’s lost”.
As the game went into overtime, Japan once again had to claw their way out from being down when star forward Abby Wambach scored off a header for the US. But the Japanese would just not give up. With only three minutes remaining in overtime, Japan scored, tying the game and bringing the game to Penalty kicks. Japan unbelievably won the Penalty kicks 3-1.
As the Japanese received their metals, I couldn’t help but laugh as they were caught between a tradition bow and a hug with the FIFA men handing out the metals. I called my grandparents in Japan as the golden confetti shot up around the Japanese team lifting their trophy.
My grandpa said, “[The earthquake meant] endless repair and damage. I don’t know how long it will take 5 years, 50 years or 100 years to repair. It is terrible. Things like their soccer game will make it better and bring the country together.”
After a tragedy that engulfed the nation, the country once again has a reason to smile.
“It has been only bad news since the earthquake” he said. “It’s been unbelievably bad news for so long but this was unbelievable good news.”
For the sake of Japan, I’m glad they won.
