Japan: We can beat anybody on our day

The history of sporting tournaments is littered with tales of players and teams who broke a glass ceiling but ultimately fell away before the summit was attained. The lesson seems to be that the fairytale, captivating as it may be, rarely has a happy ending.

There are exceptions to the rule: Boris Becker winning Wimbledon as an unseeded 17-year old, Greece claiming the 2004 European Championship, Leicester City securing a shock Premier League title in 2016. It can happen.