The Yokohamarama
Wednesday 12th February 2009, match day. The Socceroos were set to take on the Blue Samurai in a World Cup Qualifier match. We decided to leave Tokyo early and head down to Yokohama. First stop was Yokohama Chinatown for a bite to eat. As far as Chinatown’s go, Yokohama Chinatown is reported to be one of the largest in the world (ah, yes, this does not include towns in China) 
Yokohama Chinatown
Goodwill Gate, Yokohama Chinatown
Game time drew closer, it was a 7.20pm kick-off so I had to hop a couple of trains from Motomachi-Chukagai Station to Shin-Yokohama Station. It’s a 14 minute walk from Shin-Yokohama Station to the Stadium.
The stadium is usually called Nissan Stadium, however apparently during FIFA events the naming rights are not respected and it is referred to as International Stadium Yokohama. To me, the FIFA imposed name lacks thought as across town is Yokohama Stadium which is Yokohama’s main baseball stadium. How many ‘stadiums’ can you have in ‘Yokohama’ with the terms ‘stadium’ and Yokohama’ in the name?
A storm brews as the Socceroos train (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
Nissan Stadium was inaugurated in March 1998. It is the home stadium of Yokohama F. Marinos of the J-League. The stadium is probably most famous for hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Brazil. It has the highest seating capacity of any stadium in Japan, with a total of 72,327 seats.
Arriving at the stadium I headed to the South Gate amongst a big group of Green and Gold Army supporters. There were lines of Blue Samurai supporters already inside the stadium playfully jeering the Aussie supporters as we headed to the gate. This provoked the chant “3 – 1 in Germany, 3 – 1 in Germany, 3 – 1 in Germany…” Some footage embedded here:
The stadium was a sell-out with crowd attendance of over 70,000 people. I proudly stood with my hand on chest as the Aussie fans performed a completely out of tune rendition of the Australian National Anthem. Perhaps we need to sing it like this.
The game was a bit of a bore and I feel kind of sorry for all of the Aussie supporters who made their way to watch the boys play. Given the current economic conditions and the value of the Aussie dollar to the Yen, it couldn’t have been a cheap expedition.
I reckon instead of coming to see a game of football, they came and saw a game of chess. It seemed that tactically Australia were satisfied with a draw and were happy to defend to keep it that way. From a spectators perspective, a defensive game makes for a boring game. And I have seen my fair share of boring socceroos matches being at the Australia vs China match at Homebush last year and the Australia vs Iraq game in Bangkok the year before.
Pawns in a chess game, they defend (Getty Images)
Outplayed for much of the game, the Socceroos just held on to secure a point and leaving them needing just a win and a draw from their final four games to book their place in South Africa.
We stood on the south side of the stadium with all of the other Aussie supporters. I didn’t wear any green and gold just in case Australia lost I needed to quickly blend in with the Japanese supporters. Ash (aka ‘The Japaroo’) on the other hand was a little confused that night. He wore a socceroos beanie and scarf and waved a Japanese flag.
The Japaroo
Aussie Aussie Aussie
The Hinomaru
International Stadium Yokohama
Another Hinomaru
The Yokohama Affair
Ajista
One Night In Bangkok
Aussie Rules Football Enlists First Ever Japanese-Born Player
Kirin Brewery Yokohama
LOL @ blending in with Japan in case Australia lost! I share the same feelings as your kid the Japaroo, on the 2002 World Cup I didn’t know if I should root for China or Costa Rica! Costa Rica won though ^^
Nice pictures, I love those huge flags! Cheers~
Hi Hao, thanks for your comments. It is probaby a good thing for the Japaroo, just like you, he gets to grow up with an affinity with two sides. Must be a difficult choice when they play each other though.
The other Australian supporters on the night did their best to convert him to the Green and Gold side teaching him ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’ chants (and a few other chants that his mum had to cover his ears for). Even one guy gave him a full-sized Australian flag after the match as we were leaving the stadium.
In your report you say; “I didn’t wear any green and gold just in case Australia lost I needed to quickly blend in with the Japanese supporters.”
I’m quite certain that you are joking about not wanting to be recognised as an Aussie, but at 185cm and pushing 100kgs, your efforts to blend into a Japanese crowd would be akin to a pelican trying to blend into a flock of seagulls. How much sake were you drinking?
Nunnster, yes it was a joke. I’m not being traitorous.
Aside from stature, there are probably a few other attributes that I am missing that would have given them a sniff that they had an imposter in their midst.
One of my mates with me on the night was a Kiwi (yes, I use the term ‘mate’ loosely, he is a Kiwi). He’s a big Rugby fan and was going to wear his All Blacks get up. He had second thoughts when I told him that we will be sitting in the Aussie supporters section of the statdium.
You exited at the wrong stop.
The Kozukue station is closer to International Stadium Yokohama.
The cheapest and swiftest route from Tokyo to Yokohama is the Tokyu Minatomirai line from Shibuya to Kikuna, and the JR Yokohama line from there to Kozukue.
I’ve covered the F.I.F.A. Club World Cup the last four years, including the Final in Yokohama.
I’ll refer to the facility as “Nissan International Stadium” the day *I* get a check from Nissan.
Anyhow, Nissan is not a F.I.F.A. sponsor (Toyota and Hyundai are); so that’s really why F.I.F.A. doesn’t respect the ‘popular’ stadium name.
This match was actually televised here in North America (in English). I saw it. Yeah – it was pretty much a textbook zero-zero match. In other words, not one you would want a prospective soccer fan to view. (Show him | her the Manchester United v. Gamba Osaka match instead.)
And we beat Mexico by 2-zero in Columbus, OH., even though it was not as cold as we were hoping.
Let’s see how many pollsters still vote Mexico ahead of us in the next F.I.F.A. rankings.
Hi PudgyM, thanks for your comment.
I wish that I could have received it before last Wednesday, probably would have saved valuable drinking time on the shorter route to the Stadium.
Regarding the stadiums name, I hear you regarding Nissan not being a FIFA sponsor. I just think that the *alternate* name could be better. To avoid any confusion.
Back in 2003 New Zealand lost the right to co-host the 2003 Rugby World Cup with Australia and, as I understand it, was due to a disagreement over ground signage rights between the IRC and local sponsors. Therefore, I do understand the need to be creative in such circumstances when stadiums have sold their naming rights.
But to have a ‘Yokohama Stadium’ and an ‘International Stadium Yokohama’ both in Yokohama seemed, well, to lack imagination.
I didn’t catch the USA v Mexico game but I caught the result. A good result for you guys!