This is how we proceed, says Honda after Japan defeat

Keisuke Honda said his country had a blueprint for the future despite being knocked out of the World Cup in painful fashion by Belgium on Monday.

Akira Nishino's side had been 2-0 up in Rostov-on-Don thanks to goals from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui, and were seemingly headed for the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

But Belgium fought back and completed the turnaround with a 94th-minute winner from substitute Nacer Chadli to go through instead to a last-eight tie against Brazil.

Once again the Japanese fail to win a World Cup knockout tie, after previous defeats at this stage as co-hosts in 2002, and in 2010.

But Honda, one of the great Japan players of his generation who is now 32, said this defeat should not be compared with that on penalties against Paraguay at the same stage in South Africa eight years ago.

"That time, our team were more than 90 percent playing in Japan, and just three or four playing in Europe," said Honda, who came off the bench late on against Belgium.

"We played just long ball and we couldn't keep the ball, we couldn't make chances like today, so we can't compare.

"Today we showed how we proceed as Japanese football." Honda, though, indicated that he is likely to call time on his own international career despite closing in on 100 caps.

"I might finish my career for the national team, but I am happy because many young players are following us and I think that they will make new history for Japanese football," said the former CSKA Moscow and AC Milan man, now playing in Mexico.

The majority of the squad brought to Russia by coach Nishino is based in Europe, and
"Maybe we gave the European crowds a message that they should bring more Japanese players, not even national players. I hope they will now take a lot of new talents."