JAPAN WINS 4TH STRAIGHT
Defending champs through to quarter-finals with win over Dutch, while controversy brews on Team Canada
In his wonderfully poetic way, Japan’s coach, Norio Sasaki, had warned of a “storm that could happen” in their round-of-16 game against the Netherlands on Tuesday night.
He was confronting questions about his team’s relatively unconvincing victories in the group stage — three of them, all by one goal.
“Storm” would be a strong word to describe what transpired at B.C. Place. But in a 2-1 win that earned Japan a spot in Saturday’s quarterfinals against surprising Australia in Edmonton, the reigning Women’s World Cup champions showed their class.
Never more so than in the 78th minute.
It was an exquisite goal in front of 28,717 fans — the kind only Japan and the French can score in this tournament.
The kind that reminds everyone of the gulf that still exists between Japan and the likes of Canada.
A diagonal pass into the box. A back heel. A layoff to the top of the box. A dummy from Mana Iwabuchi and a clinical, curling finish from Mizuho Sakaguchi, just inside the post.
Breathtaking stuff. Individual play be damned, this was the goal of the tournament.
It was 2-0 at that point. Lights out against a young, game Dutch side that was fun to watch while their run lasted.
But if Japan wanted to give its fans a sense of calm with this performance — or their future opponents a heightened sense of fear — they threw that away at the end.
Goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori had made an important reaction save off her own defender seconds before the 2-0 goal, but she allowed an absolute howler in the 90th minute when Kirsten Van De Ven’s soft header bounced in off Kaihori’s arm.
Then one minute into stoppage time, a cross fell to Vivianne Miedema in the Japanese box and the favourites were in full scramble mode to keep the equalizer out of their net.
“I’m sorry to say we kept you in suspense to the very end,” said Sasaki, who talks to the Japanese media as friends, and graciously receives their respectful applause at the end of his news conferences.
“I tried to have a stable one-sided game, but we always have these intense moments. Sorry about that.”
Still, on this form, they could win the Women’s World Cup again.
Germany’s been the more convincing of the powers so far, but they have a much tougher quarterfinal assignment in France, then maybe the U.S. in their semifinal.
Japan has Australia, then the winner of Canada and England. They’ll be heavy favourites in both.
When Japan is in rhythm, stroking passes around, moving quickly, it’s inspiring stuff.
The fact they’ve won four games by a single goal could also be proof of how comfortable they are in that state.