After the Japanese were eliminated early from the Olympics two years ago on home soil, they rebuilt, hiring a new coach and focusing on youth.
Japan’s players bow to their fans at the end of their quarterfinal match with Sweden at Eden Park Friday.AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Led by coach Futoshi Ikeda, the Nadeshiko racked up 15 goals, most of any team in the tournament. Surprising young midfielder Hinata Miyazawa had five goals to lead the field, matching Japanese legend Homare Sawa’s record set in 2011.with a 2-1 victory
“We knew we were going to play a very skilled and technical team,” Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani said. “We didn’t want them to have a lot of time on the ball, because that’s when they’re the best.” “There was a lot of time spent on defense and it was difficult to find our own pace, and we weren’t able to have a good offense,” forward Mina Tanaka said.
In 2011, the Japanese downed Sweden 3-1 in the semifinals and went on to lift the World Cup trophy after a penalty shootout with the United States. It was an emotional victory because of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier that year.Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, Japan hired coach Asako Takakura, the first woman to manage the national team, but the Nadeshiko fell to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
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