soccer

Japan to lodge complaint over laser beams during Jordan soccer clash

31 Comments

The Japan Football Association (JFA) will complain to FIFA that two of their players were targeted by laser beams from the crowd during their loss to Jordan in a World Cup qualifier, local media reported on Wednesday.

A draw in Tuesday night's match in Amman would have been enough for the Blue Samurai to become the first team to qualify for the 2014 finals in Brazil but Yasuhito Endo missed a second half penalty in the 71st minute as the Asian champions crashed to a 2-1 defeat.

According to Kyodo news agency, a laser trained on Endo when he was preparing to take the penalty while goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima was also targeted at the King Abdullah International Stadium.

"We will make a complaint," Kyodo quoted JFA chief Kuniya Daini as saying.

Endo said he was dazzled even before he stepped up for the penalty kick.

"It wasn't just the penalty, there were other times in the game, too, but it (the laser beam) didn't really affect me," the 33-year-old midfielder told the news agency. "I was focused and tried to place the ball where I wanted to put it, but the goalkeeper read it."

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni was also angry after two Jordan players made provocative gestures toward him, the report said.

"I'm not the kind of coach that likes to be provoked and threatened," Kyodo quoted him as saying.

Despite the defeat, Japan, on 13 points, is still six clear at the top of their group ahead of Jordan who leapfrogged Australia into second spot.

© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

31 Comments
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Didn't see the game but damn, that is actually a pretty big laser. Fully agree with lodging the complaint although im afraid it will fall on deaf ears.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Just ridiculous to have a fan do this kind of crap. Just shows poorly on your country that they have to cheat to get a goal.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

"the laser beam didn’t really affect me" that'll stand their complaint in good stead.

The fans are idiots, but Japan should have refused to play while it was happening. Complaining now is too late.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Good Bad

bgaudryMar. 27, 2013 - 04:35PM JST

"the laser beam didn’t really affect me" that'll stand their complaint in good stead.

It didn't seem to affect Endo when he took the PK, but it looks like it screwed with the keeper at the 1st goal

1 ( +2 / -1 )

this stuff happens all the time. I'm sure other teams have complained, but I doubt that did much.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

They should have stopped the match immediately.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

re-match.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

You know, if you want to beat Japan, you have to cheat. It is the same in business.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

"The laser beam didn't really affect me" is a mis-translation - what he actually said was, "if you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"

2 ( +5 / -3 )

It was poor and I have no idea why Japan didn't demand the game be stopped. We could clearly see it on TV so why wasn't anything done about it? FIFA needs to step up and deal with this issue. Gestures to coaches? Out of line. It was a rough game at many points and both teams needed to settle down a bit.

Japan played poorly last night. A few decent shots but wow, Jordan had them running all over the place.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Just watched the TV interview of former soccer player saying "it happens". Is it true? Then feel so sorry about the poor manner of the audience which shouldn't be accepted during the game.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This happens all the time in high profile matches in Europe. Still, doesn't excuse the fact that it's a problem and that FIFA needs to examine, but I'm afraid that this complaint will fall on deaf ears.

The guys are so close to secure the WC spot, and I'm certain that they can do it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I noticed that while I was watching the game I was pretty annoyed at that sort of terrible behaviour from the Jordanian fans.

Japan's wastefulness carried across from the Canada game. The better team almost the entire game, things just didn't click in the final third. Definitely knowing that they are practically already in Brazil isn't helping. I expect Zaccheroni will seriously fire them up for the next game, knowing a point against Australia is enough should be a real motivator for Japan knowing the on-field rivalry that has built up over the recent years.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Strange - lived in Jordan for almost a year and found the people to be awesome - only takes a few idiots to screw things up....

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The Jordan fans were restless even before the game started, completely ignoring the Japanese anthem playing that st*p**d vuvuzela through out the song.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

If Japan has to blame the fans for losing I'd say they're even worse than they are. Soccer fans sometimes SUCK, and there has been talk time and again of cleaning it up, but it won't happen over night. Japanese fans have also engaged in racist behaviour in the past against an Iranian coach, and many, many, many a player from Japan or otherwise have had to suffer the taunts and bad behaviour of crowds around the world. The team is right to file a complaint, but what will be done? Do they know what fans did it? They can't very well blame Jordan or Jordan's team for what happened. They lost because they played badly -- end of story.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

They should have stopped the match immediately

That would have been most effective in finding out who the idiot was that was doing it. If you're at a game and someone stops the game because one fan is interfering with the gameplay I'm pretty sure that "fan" would be weeded out pretty quick if the game stops just because of them.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Smith, they didn't blame losing in this. Usually agree with you but not here.

-1 ( +4 / -4 )

Soccer fans sometimes SUCK

Sometimes?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The most FIFA can do is fine the Jordan squad, but this big problem. These lasers can cause eye damage should be treated as weapon as the circumference of the laser will get bigger with distance. This raises the question, do you aim HD cameras into the stands?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Disturbing behavior of soccer fans at soccer games gone Hi-Tech.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Lasers are nothing new. If you've seen other matches. I believe countries like Lebanon, Iran etc all used lasers on their opponents. The japanese and koreans both got laser beamed.

It's a travesty. But that's the ugly side of soccer/football.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Very dangerous and moronic behavior - and the jordanian crowd did the same thing to several socceroos players when we played there a few months ago. Schwarzer our goalie copped it the most if I recall. This is the middle-east however, folks. I'm not sure the fans there necessarily follow rules of fair play as in australia, japan etc. Heck - it's probably lucky none of the samurai were shot at!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The usual punishment in cases like this: Fifa makes the team play in empty stadium. Happened to Egypt recently.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@ lostinnagoya - laser-beaming players by idiot soccer fans happens quite often sadly. I've yet to hear of such incidents being punished by orders to play in an empty park. A fine and reprimand is what they'll likely cop.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@BurakuminDes: I agree, but Fifa should make an example out of this. Jordanians should be deprived of seen their beloved team in the last crucial matches ahead. Would teach them a lesson. Also Japan should stop being so passive in cases like this. One of the players should have fallen to the ground screaming "I can't see!! I can't see!!". It would make world news and Fifa would have taken actions immediately.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

That's just not going to happen. Had the keeper (or any other player) taken a dive when this happened, the ref would have stopped the game temporarily. If the player persisted (and assuming the officials believed the player was legitimately injured) they would have offered the Japanese team a chance to substitute.

World Cup qualifiers aren't ever stopped or re-played easily. Take a look at the appalling conditions the U.S. v Costa Rica game was played under.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This happens all the time in europe , particularly chamoion's league games or in various leagues . It takes only 2-3 idiots to do it , out of a crowd of several dozen thousands people ...

Difficult to police it , you'd have to body search everyone before the match and those lasers are easily concealed

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mexican fans were doing the same thing at Azteca stadium during last night's WC qualifier between USA/MEX.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Where was it duplicated? No reference to the USA/MEX game above. Only USA/CRC.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I see the laser but the players don't look distracted.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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