Japan’s women’s soccer team tears up as title dreams fall short of Swedish barrier
Japan’s women’s soccer team, which seemed to recreate the 2011 Women’s World Cup title in Germany, was hampered by Sweden, with four consecutive wins (14 points and one run) to beat Norway 3-1 in the round of 16.
Sweden’s women’s national soccer team, led by head coach Peter Gerhardson, defeated Japan 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, at 4:30 p.m. on the 11th (Korea time).
Japan to PK Crossbar Bad luck
Swedish players clearly showed through the game that it was no accident to beat the U.S., one of the world’s best teams in women’s soccer, in the round of 16, by penalty shoot-out. The concentration shown at every important crisis was so persistent that Japanese players could not handle it. Sweden’s first goal, which entered at 31 minutes and 7 seconds in the first half, symbolizes this.
Captain Kosovare Aslani’s free-kick ball confused the front of the Japanese goal. Natalie Bjorn’s shot did not go in, but Swedish players 먹튀검증 rushed one step ahead while several more chances to see the second ball continued. Amanda Ellestadt didn’t miss the moment when the ball pushed by Magdalena Eriksson hit Japanese defender Saki Kumagai’s body and fell, and hit it with a right-footed volley shot.
Sweden, which won a valuable victory, scored one more goal with a penalty kick early in the second half, marking a crossroads to the semifinals. He took the opportunity to set piece again this time. When Sweden’s right corner kick flew in the 48th minute, Huka Nagano’s handball foul could not escape the VAR camera. Midfielder Philippa Angeldal’s right-footed penalty was pushed low at 50 minutes and 16 seconds and sucked into the left corner.
Japan, which cannot turn around here, also got a penalty kick in the 74th minute due to a foul by Swedish substitute Madelen Yanowi, but suffered the misfortune of Ricoh Ueki’s strong right-footed ball hitting the crossbar. Japan’s crossbar misfortune continued once more in 86 minutes and 20 seconds. A direct free-kick kicked by Aoba Fujino with his right foot was hit by the crossbar and then blocked by Swedish goalkeeper Jessira Musovic’s super save.
Japan didn’t give up until the end and Hayashi Honoka scored a right-footed goal at 86 minutes and 52 seconds, but he couldn’t bring an equalizer until the end of 11 minutes of extra time in the second half and had to swallow the mound.
Sweden will now meet Spain in the same venue at 5 p.m. on Liberation Day in our time for the qualification to the finals. Spain lost 0-4 to Japan in the group stage, but they beat Switzerland 5-1 in the round of 16 and the Netherlands 2-1, which was considered one of the favorites in the quarterfinals.