Following a tumultuous and at-times controversial journey to the knockout stage, Japan came close to reaching their first-ever World Cup quarterfinals on Monday before having their hearts broken by a last-gasp Belgium goal.In a turn of events few would have predicted, the Samurai Blue fought their way to a 2-0 lead against their star-studded opponents after 52 minutes in the last-16 clash at Rostov Arena.Though substitute Nacer Chadli eventually seized a 3-2 victory for the world No. 3 side with the penultimate kick of the game, Japan's spirited performance earned them plaudits and all but …READ FULL ARTICLE
