Japan has not often run into issues on this Women’s World Cup, and within the fleeting moments issues have seemed shut, its technique has held agency: Press ahead, assault, go for targets repeatedly.
Now, that aggression has the Japanese in line to face both Sweden or the United States in a quarterfinal after they picked aside Norway, 3-1, on Saturday evening.
Not even Norway’s star striker Ada Hegerberg might counter the Japanese push as a late substitute. Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon D’Or winner, had been coping with a groin damage however entered the sport with roughly 20 minutes left and Norway stepping up its assault.
Hinata Miyazawa solved for that rapidly, simply because it seemed like Norway would possibly tie the sport. Miyazawa, with a fast, explosive burst, sprinted previous Thea Bjelde and created sufficient house to decelerate and measurement up one exact strike along with her left foot to give Japan a two-goal lead.
So, what did Japan do with that newfound consolation? Press extra, assault extra and restrict Norway’s probabilities to flip the tables. Norway received shut for a second with a crowd in entrance of the aim, however Ayaka Yamashita saved a header from Karina Saevik in spectacular trend to preserve Japan’s margin intact.
Norway’s solely aim, which tied the sport at 1 within the first half, was the primary and solely rating that Japan has conceded on this event, a swift play from end to end.
But for a lot of the sport, particularly earlier than Hegerberg entered, that 15-second burst stood as the one sustained offense for the Norwegians because the Japanese pressed repeatedly.
Risa Shimizu scored on an aggressive takeaway, and Japan’s first score was an own goal by Ingrid Syrstad Engen as she caught out a boot to attempt to cease Miyazawa from creating a gap.
Miyazawa, a newfound star who had just one aim in 20 video games for her membership within the Japanese league final season, received her fifth aim on this World Cup, probably the most of any participant on this event. That tied Homare Sawa for probably the most targets by a Japanese participant in a World Cup, a mark Sawa reached in 2011. Japan received the championship that 12 months by defeating the United States in a penalty shootout.
Going into this event, Japan was seen as a stable membership that was maybe much less intimidating than a number of the greatest powers within the sport. It misplaced some video games because it ready for this event, together with matches in opposition to the United States, Brazil and Spain. But its technique seemed extra absolutely developed in wins in opposition to Canada and Portugal forward of the World Cup, and Japan breezed by means of its group.
Its 4-0 victory in opposition to Spain was the strongest efficiency any workforce had within the group stage, and with its win in opposition to Norway, Japan confirmed it is going to be troublesome to decelerate.
Of course, the United States and Sweden will need that job. But they’ll have to clinch the showdown first.
And Japan will welcome the winner, figuring out that its inventory has risen increased, not less than to date, than any workforce on this World Cup.
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