Goals from Amanda Ilestedt and Filippa Angeldahl saw Sweden beat Japan 2-1 to reach 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
Ilestedt put Sweden ahead in the 32nd minute with a close-range strike before Angeldahl doubled their lead from the penalty spot in the 51st minute, after Fuka Nagano had handballed Ilestedt’s header from a corner kick.
Honoka Hayashi netted a 87th minute consolatory goal from close-range but Japan failed to find an equaliser, which meant that the 2011 winners were eliminated and guaranteed a new Women’s World Cup champion come end of this tournament.
Sweden will face Spain at Eden Park, Auckland New Zealand in the opening semi-final on Tuesday 15 August at 8am UK Time, after the Spanish defeated Netherlands 2-1 after extra time courtesy of Salma Paralluelo’s 111th minute winner in the opening Quarter-Final.
With the eyes of the world upon them following their scrappy win over reigning-champions, USA on penalties in Round of 16, Sweden survived an early scare as Japan attacked from the kick-off with a first-minute corner luckily cleared by Elin Rubensson.
Sweden however quickly settled into this game and limited Japan’s attacking chances throughout the first half, as the 2011 winners struggled to carve out clear-cut chances in an uncharacteristic display for the tournament’s top goalscoring team coming into this stage.
Their best chance eventually fell in the 28th minute when Risa Shimizu’s pullback cross from the right found Hinata Miyawa at the left-post, from which the top goalscorer flicked back towards the centre of the box but Zecira Musovic was alert to make a crucial save.
Sweden however won a free-kick four minutes later after Saki Kumagai fouled Stina Blackstenius, with Kosovare Asllani’s set-piece punched away by Ayaka Yamashita to Nathalie Bjorn who found Magdalena Eriksson – who was making her 100th international appearance – in the box.
Eriksson duly shot upon goal but her first shot was deflected back to her by Kumagai with her rebound shot subsequently deflected through, towards Ilestedt who lashed into the near-right corner to put the Swedes ahead against the last remaining former champions in this tournament.
Japan thereafter struggled to mount a response before half-time as Sweden grew in confidence, although Asllani and Filippa Angeldahl saw shots saved by Yamashita.
Japan manager, Futoshi Ikeda responded at half-time by substituting Hina Sugita for Jun Endo in hope of reviving their fourtunes.
If Japan hoped that the second-half would see the start of a fightback, their hopes were quickly dashed as Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s 47th minute shot was blocked by Yamashita, with Nagano handballing Ilestedt’s header from the consequential corner.
Referee, Esther Staubli initially failed to spot the incident but was soon alerted by Video-Assistant-Referee (VAR), which led her to award a penalty which Angeldahl rifled into the bottom left corner in the 51st minute to double Sweden’s lead.
Ikeda consequently substituted Mina Tanaka for Riko Ueki which initially did little to lift Japan’s spirit as Eriksson headed wide from a 59th minute corner.
Japan eventually found their groove in the 63rd minute as Shimizu’s cross was punched away by Musovic, before Endo’s cross was volleyed wide across goal by Aoba Fujino seconds later.
Yui Hasegawa then flicked Shimizu’s deflected low cross wide five minutes later, only to turn provider herself in the 71st minute as she teed up Fujino with a short pass but Musovic was alert to block Fujino’s shot.
Swedish substitute, Madelen Janogy came on in the 72nd minute and barely two minutes later, she had conceded a penalty with a light foul on Ueki.
Ueki subsequently stepped up to offer Japan hope of a late fightback to force extra-time at minimum, yet the 24 year-old rattled the crossbar then headed over on the rebound.
Japan however refused to give up their World Cup dreams but Fujino’s 87th minute free-kick bounced down off the crossbar onto inside of the left post, yet was cleared on the line out for a throw-in, which was fed across to Endo then Kiko Seike whose shot was deflected for Hayashi to sweep in.
Seike went close twice in injury-time to finding a late equaliser for Japan but saw a shot saved by Musovic, before she unluckily dragged a shot wide of the bottom-left corner from close-range.
Sweden eventually survived ten minutes of injury-time to reach their second consecutive Women’s World Cup semi-final, plus fifth overall in nine appearances in this tournament.
Teams
Japan: Ayaka Yamashita, Hana Takahashi (Hamano 90+2′), Saki Kumagai, Moeka Minami, Risa Shimizu, Yui Hasegawa, Fuka Nagano (Hayashi 81′), Hina Sugita (Endo 45′), Aoba Fujino, Mina Tanaka (Ueki 52′), Hinata Miyazawa (Seike 81′)
Substitutes: Shiori Miyake, Hikaru Naomoto, Riko Ueki, Jun Endo, Honoka Hayashi, Kiko Seike, Momoko Tanaka, Miyabi Moriya, Maika Hamano, Chika Hirao, Remina Chiba, Rion Ishikawa
Sweden: Zecira Musovic, Nathalie Bjorn, Amanda Ilestedt, Magdalena Eriksson, Jonna Andersson, Elin Rubensson (Bennison 84′), Filippa Angeldahl, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Jakobsson 84′), Kosovare Asllani (Janogy 72′), Fridolina Rolfo (Hurtig 73′), Stina Blackstenius
Substitutes: Jennifer Falk, Tove Enbolm, Linda Sembrant, Stina Lennartsson, Anna Sandberg, Madelen Janogy, Lina Hurtig, Sofia Jakobsson, Rebecka Blomqvist, Caroline Seger, Hanna Bennison, Olivia Schough
Referee – Esther Staubli (Switzerland)
Leave a Reply