Banzai!

Parents know this kind of joy, that crystalline moment when a child in whom all hopes are vested suddenly finds himself. Nations, too, can find affirmation in the successes of favorite sons. This week it was Asia's turn. After years of frustration and failure, unheralded national teams from Japan and South Korea broke through, not only going toe-to-toe against some of the world's best footballers, but doing so with the aggression of the super-confident. No, they do not yet have a famous war cry, like France's " Allez! " But the French are going home in defeat, along with the fallen warriors of...