February 4, 2012  Print Email | Japan beats US to reach World Baseball final
Will play South Korea
Posted by Agencies at 06:09 AM GMT on Mar 23, 2009 | LOS ANGELES (AFP): Defending champions Japan defeated the United States 9-4 in yesterday's semi-final, to book an all-Asian showdown with South Korea for the World Baseball Classic title.
 Daisuke Matsuzaka dazzled US batters, frustrating the multi-millionaire lineup comprising of MLB stars, to snap a four-game streak against the Americans and advance to a fifth game against South Korea in this Classic in Monday's final at Dodger Stadium.
"It will be the game of the century and we certainly want to do our best," Japan manager Tatsunori Hara said.
The Japanese team has split four meetings with their arch-rivals in the past two weeks, going 1-1 against the reigning Olympic champions in both the first and second rounds.
Asia's dream final meant the region's teams had already claimed supremacy in a battle for bragging rights over US Major League Baseball rivals, the Koreans having ousted a Venezuela major-league all-star lineup 10-2 on Saturday.
"It's just one game," US manager Davey Johnson said. "We had quality players. Some of our pitchers aren't as far along as the Japanese pitchers. All in all we put on a good show and we could have easily won."
The Americans had won their four prior games against Japan, two at the Beijing Olympics - including the bronze medal game - plus another at the 2007 World Cup in Taiwan and in the second round of the inaugural 2006 Classic.
"The US is where baseball was born," Hara said. "The fact we won this game is something that in the Japanese baseball world is something that will remain in history forever."
Asia's dream final meant the region's teams had already claimed supremacy in a battle for bragging rights over US Major League Baseball rivals, the Koreans having ousted a Venezuela major-league all-star lineup 10-2 on Saturday.
"It's just one game," US manager Davey Johnson said. "We had quality players. Some of our pitchers aren't as far along as the Japanese pitchers. All in all we put on a good show and we could have easily won."
The Americans had won their four prior games against Japan, two at the Beijing Olympics - including the bronze medal game - plus another at the 2007 World Cup in Taiwan and in the second round of the inaugural 2006 Classic.
"The US is where baseball was born," Hara said. "The fact we won this game is something that in the Japanese baseball world is something that will remain in history forever."
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