Japan's 'Samurai Blue' Prepare for World Cup

Japan’s national soccer team, nicknamed the “Samurai Blue,” is hoping to translate recent positive momentum from international friendlies into success at the FIFA World Cup this summer. The team will play its matches in Dallas, Texas, and fans are already demonstrating enthusiastic support.

Historic Victory Over England

On March 31st, Japan achieved a historic 1-0 victory over England in an international friendly. This marked the first time Japan has ever defeated the English national team. Following the win, Japanese fans gained viral attention for cleaning up their section of Wembley Stadium, a practice they’ve become known for during past World Cups.

Fan Excitement Builds for Dallas Match

Chizuko Trader's Journey to Support the Team

Chizuko Trader, a fan who traveled to London for the England match, will be in Dallas on June 14th to watch Japan face the Netherlands. Speaking to FOX 4’s Steven Dial, she expressed her excitement: “I’m just excited to see, kind of, a really good game. Something I cannot miss. So I believe they are going to do great stuff, so I cannot miss that.”

Trader also plans to attend Japan’s match against Tunisia in Mexico on June 20th and has tickets for potential Round of 32 and Round of 16 games. She added, “I feel so lucky to have them in the state. I’m so proud of them,” noting that the team’s base camp is in Nashville, where she lives and works for a Japanese company.

Joshua Gomez's Unexpected Trip

Joshua Gomez, a Texas Tech graduate now living in Tokyo, will also be traveling to Dallas with his family to watch Japan’s opening match. He shared his surprise at securing tickets: “On the third lottery entry, I just like totally forgot I even signed up, and I just looked at my bank statement. I’m like, ‘Oh, I just lost a lot of money. What is this?’ And then I got an email saying I got tickets. So, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa!’ And, I mean, honestly, we didn’t even really plan for this because we didn’t think we’d be going or even to get tickets.” Gomez’s father was stationed in Japan during his military service, giving him a connection to the country.