Miyagi, Japan ? Turkey ended Japan’s remarkable run at the World Cup, and kept its own one alive.

Umit Davala, rising high and unmarked in the penalty area with his Mohawk hairdo, scored on a header off a corner kick in the 12th minute for a 1-0 win Tuesday against the tournament’s co-host.

The victory put Turkey in the quarterfinals for the first time, against Senegal, and broke hearts across this suddenly soccer-mad nation.

Japan, in the second round for the first time, was cheered on by the crowd of about 46,000, most clad in the team’s blue jerseys and drenched by a steady rain.

After the game, many of them sobbed in the stands, while Turkish fans back in Istanbul poured into the streets and squares to celebrate.

“This great Japanese adventure is now over. Today I am very proud to have led this team, and to have worn the Japanese colors for four years,” coach Philippe Troussier said, choking back tears. He resigned as Japan’s coach later that day.

“I say ‘Bravo’ to this team. It played with dignity. We showed that we can live with the best footballing sides.”

Brazilian-born midfielder Alessandro Santos came closest to tying the score, but his curling free kick from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar in the 41st minute.

In the early stages, neither side got a grip on the game because of the wet, slippery field.

The breakthrough came after Japan conceded an unnecessary corner kick with a poor backpass, one of many passing mistakes by the Japanese. Ergun Penbe took the well-placed corner and Davala rose to the occasion.

“This is a gift for the Turkish public, they should maintain their faith in us, we will keep battling here for them,” Davala said.

The Turks, launching several counterattacks, almost made it 2-0 in the 24th minute when a lofted pass found Hakan Sukur breaking into the box on the left. But his ambitious lob was kept out by Japanese goalie Seigo Narazaki.

Moments later, Sukur knocked the ball into the path of Hasan Sas, whose powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area flew over the bar.

Turkey is in the World Cup for only the second time. It was also in the tournament in 1954.

“We wanted to see ourselves on the world stage,” coach Senol Gunes said.

For co-host country Japan, it was a bittersweet ending to its most successful Cup ever.

“We were hungry,” midfielder Shinji Ono said, “but we could not win.”