Japan eves set up Aussie clash after Dutch win
Print Edition
Japan completed the quarterfinal lineup for the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday when the defending champion rolled into the last eight with an impressive 2-1 win over the Netherlands.
The only team in the tournament to have won every game, the Japanese dominated the Dutch debutantes with their speed and skill and move on to Edmonton and a Saturday meeting with Australia, which booked its last eight spot with an upset win over Brazil.
An early strike from Saori Ariyoshi and a 78th-minute missile from Mizuho Sakaguchi accounted for Japan’s scoring, while Kirsten Van De Ven provided some late drama when her tame injury-time header somehow found its way past a static Ayumi Kaihori.
For the Dutch the loss was double disappointment ending their stay in Canada and a chance to qualify directly for the Rio Olympics.
The top three European teams at the World Cup will qualify for Olympic berths which will go to France and Germany. England also made the quarterfinals but is ineligible for the Olympics meaning the other European nations that appeared in the World Cup; Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the Dutch will now play a mini-tournament next year to decide the third spot.
“I would like to say that we ended every attack with a shot. That was the key to success,” Japan coach Nori Sasaki told reporters. “I am sorry to say we kept your suspense right until the end.
“I tried to have a stable one-sided game but we always have these tense moments.
Playing their first match in nine days, the Dutch looked rusty and were fortunate to reach the break just 1-0 down after Japan dominated the opening half, generating chance after chance and hammering 13 shots at the rival goal.
But the Netherlands came to life in the second and were close to finding an equalizer in the 75th off a wild scramble from a corner, Kaihori blocking the initial goal-bound deflection before Van De Ven had her blast blocked on the line.
Despite the close call the ‘Nadeshiko’ refused to panic and calmly worked the ball down the field with Sakaguchi providing a thundering finish to some superb buildup play that included a cheeky back heel pass and dummy run.
The match against Australia is a repeat of last year’s Women’s Asian Cup final that the Japanese won 1-0 in Vietnam.
“Australia is a completely different team this time, they have improved quite a lot,” said Sasaki. “They are technically better. I must say Australia has great potential right now and we need to be aware of that.”
And, Australia coach Alen Stajcic does not think the Matilda’s campaign would come to an end on Saturday.
“We’ve got a big assignment on our hands — the current world champions and a very good team,” he said. “But as I’ve said before we’re a very good team as well and we’ve been dangerous against everyone and there’s no reason we can’t be dangerous when we play Japan and be a real threat.
“I’m confident we can beat them but it’s going to be an extremely tough match and we will need to be at our best for 90 minutes.”
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