SYDNEY: Japan's shock Asian Cup quarter-final exit has left their big-money players dumbfounded and plunged the future of Mexican coach Javier Aguirre into doubt.
The holders crashed out on penalties against the United Arab Emirates after superstars Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed from the spot in Friday's nail-biter in Sydney as Aguirre paid the price for not rotating his squad in the group stages.
Kagawa, who has gone horribly off the boil for Japan since losing his place at Manchester United last season and returning to Borussia Dortmund, was inconsolable after slamming his kick against the post, allowing the UAE to win the shootout 5-4.
"I missed and we lost -- I'm deeply sorry," said the playmaker, who wasted several good opportunities to win the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time, and whose prolonged spell in the doldrums has been a source of concern for his Japan team-mates.
"I can't turn back time," he shrugged. "Maybe there's a reason why I missed."
Honda, who had scored twice from the spot in the group stages, struggled to find an explanation.
"It's a harsh reality," said Japan's blond cult hero, who blazed the team's first penalty wildly over the bar. "It shows we were perhaps a bit naive in not being able to cope with the pressure to win the tournament.
"I said it after the World Cup too but we weren't prepared for such a tough game," added the AC Milan midfielder, comparing the team's early exit to last year's flop in Brazil. "Mentally we were not able to adjust."
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