LONDON - Sporting CP midfielder Hidemasa Morita will keep striving for a place in Japan's World Cup squad after the Portuguese club missed out on a maiden Champions League semifinal berth following Wednesday's 1-0 aggregate loss to Arsenal in the last eight.
Rui Borges' men were aiming to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the opening leg of the quarterfinal but could not convert from a handful of chances in a scoreless stalemate against the English Premier League leaders at London's Emirates Stadium.
Morita was in the thick of the action for the visitors, winning contested balls and initiating attacking movements from the middle of the park.
"From the outside, it probably looked like Arsenal would win, but I wanted to prove the predictions wrong," said Morita, shrugging off Sporting's underdog tag. "I didn't feel any fear, or that we would be beaten."
While the 30-year-old was not called up for the Samurai Blue's most recent friendlies, he is determined to be among the World Cup squad to be named by manager Hajime Moriyasu on May 15.
"I will do what I need to do, so that I have no regrets," he said.
In other Champions League action, Japan defender Hiroki Ito remained on the bench for Bayern Munich as they beat Real Madrid 4-3 and advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4 aggregate win.
The German champions will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the final four, while Arsenal will battle Atletico Madrid.
