Japan coach falls on his sword

29 June 2010 - 23:11
By Sapa-AP

Japan coach Takeshi Okada has said his work is done as the national coach after the team fell short of his lofty goal of reaching the World Cup semifinals.

Path to World Cup final;World Cup statistics


Japan was beaten in a penalty shootout by Paraguay on Tuesday after their second-round match ended 0-0 after extra time.

Asked about his future as Japan coach after the game, Okada said "I don't think I have anything left to do now."

This was the first time Japan had reached the knockout stage of a World Cup on foreign soil.

Japan also reached the second round when it co-hosted the 2002 tournament.