A dog of a mascot
SMH wrote:
This is the Japanese team's lucky charm/secret weapon. His win rate is 18-0.
The Japanese team has yet to lose a match when Rommel the daschund - named after Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (aka "The Desert Fox") - has been around during the match build-up.
. . . The rumour is that Japan's coach Zico even keeps a picture of Rommel (the dog) in his breast pocket when the dog has been unable to travel to matches . . . more
There's more about Rommel here: Japan's secret weapon hits the woof-work