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Japan has hardly ever run into issues on this Girls’s World Cup, and within the fleeting moments issues have regarded shut, its technique has held agency: Press ahead, assault, go for targets many times.
Now, that aggression has the Japanese in line to face both Sweden or the USA in a quarterfinal after they picked aside Norway, 3-1, on Saturday night time.
Not even Norway’s star striker Ada Hegerberg may counter the Japanese push as a late substitute. Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon D’Or winner, had been coping with a groin harm however entered the sport with roughly 20 minutes left and Norway stepping up its assault.
Hinata Miyazawa solved for that rapidly, simply because it regarded like Norway may 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 together with her left foot to offer Japan a two-goal lead.
So, what did Japan do with that newfound consolation? Press extra, assault extra and restrict Norway’s possibilities to show the tables. Norway bought shut for a second with a crowd in entrance of the purpose, however Ayaka Yamashita saved a header from Karina Saevik in spectacular vogue to maintain Japan’s margin intact.
Norway’s solely purpose, 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.
However 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 many times.
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 purpose in 20 video games for her membership within the Japanese league final season, bought her fifth purpose 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 gained the championship that 12 months by defeating the USA in a penalty shootout.
Going into this event, Japan was seen as a strong membership that was maybe much less intimidating than a few of the greatest powers within the sport. It misplaced some video games because it ready for this event, together with matches towards the USA, Brazil and Spain. However its technique regarded extra absolutely developed in wins towards Canada and Portugal forward of the World Cup, and Japan breezed by its group.
Its 4-0 victory towards Spain was the strongest efficiency any crew had within the group stage, and with its win towards Norway, Japan confirmed it is going to be tough to decelerate.
In fact, the USA and Sweden will need that activity. However they’ll should clinch the showdown first.
And Japan will welcome the winner, realizing that its inventory has risen greater, no less than to date, than any crew on this World Cup.
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