Football fans were left stunned on Wednesday night as Japan pulled off a remarkable upset by defeating the United States by 21 points in the semifinals of the IFAF U20 World Junior Championship in Canada.
The unexpected outcome sparked a strong reaction from American football enthusiasts on social media, with many expressing disbelief and questioning what went wrong for the U.S. team.
Japan took control early in the game, scoring 27 points in the first half while limiting the U.S. to just seven points in the second quarter. Despite the U.S. adding 13 more points in the second half, Japan's offense responded with 20 points to secure a convincing 41-20 victory.
Head coach Makato Ohashi credited his team's ability to respond to the U.S. comeback attempts, stating, 'The beginning of the game was good for us, but then, after that, the energy of the U.S. team gave them a chance to fight back, but we were able to answer every time they scored.'
The win marked Japan's first opportunity to compete for a gold medal in the championship.
U.S. head coach Mike Kelly acknowledged Japan's dominance in the game, particularly in the battle at the line of scrimmage. Kelly admitted, 'Their defensive line was better than our offensive line, and their offensive line was better than our defensive line. And that’s what it came down to.'
Despite Kelly's assessment, many fans on social media remained baffled by the unexpected defeat, with one user expressing disbelief at the margin of the loss and calling for drastic changes within the U.S. team.
Japan's victory set up a showdown with Canada in the gold medal game, while the U.S. will face Austria in the bronze medal match.
