Goal-hungry Japan takes on familiar foe Sweden in an exciting quarter final clash in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
JAP-W vs SWE-W Match Details
Date: Friday, 11 August 2023
Time: 13:00 (IST)
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
JAP-W vs SWE-W Match Preview
Progressing to the quarterfinals was never in doubt for Japan as they ousted Norway 3-1 at the last-16 stage. Collecting a 5-0 win against Zambia, a 2-0 success over Costa Rica and a huge 4-0 victory over Spain in the group stages, the Nadeshiko was in a vibrant mood. They were essentially gifted two goals in the knockout win with Ingrid Engen deflecting a cross into her own net and her midfield partner Boe Risa gifting the ball to Shimizu in open space to score. Norway went into offensive mode after that but Japan took advantage of it scoring again through Hinata Miyazawa. The tournament top-scorer has five goals to her name equaling her country’s great Homare Sawa set in title winning campaign in 2011. Her team also scored 14 goals in the tournament, their best tally in the competition history, with only one goal conceded so far. The scintillating football and the records show it will require something special to stop probably the faultless team in the tournament to advance into their third Women’s World Cup semifinals in history. Futoshi Ikeda’s team will face Sweden for the fourth time in the competition and will hope their dogged defence fends off their attack as the USWNT felt in the Round of 16 tie against them.
Peter Gerhardsson’s team caused the mother of all shocks by eliminating the holders through a dramatic penalty shootout. Never before the North Americans had finished below third place in the competition history and were aiming for a three-peat that has all been dissolved now because of Sweden’s resistance. Yet, they will not feel settled about how they allowed the USA to come out of their shell. Also, the result could have been different if not for Zecira Musovic having a remarkable evening between the sticks. The goalkeeper from Chelsea did not have to do much in the shootout, except some distraction techniques, after the score was tied 0-0 in extra-time with Sophia Smith and even Megan Rapinoe in her last World Cup putting their penalties wide. O’Hara hit the post with her first touch of the match while Nathalie Bjorn and Rebecka Blomqvist missed for Sweden. At last, it was Lina Hurtig who converted the winning penalty but not without the drama of Alyssa Naeher saving her initial spot-kick with the rebound just crossing the line by millimetres before she kept it out. Against Japan now, the team wishes to bring the motivation they got from the huge victory to move into the second consecutive semi-finals.
Recent Form (Women’s World Cup)
JAP-W: WWWW
SWE-W: DWWW
JAP-W vs SWE-W Predicted Lineups
JAP-W: Yamashita; Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Hasegawa, Nagano, Endo; Miyazawa, Fujino, Tanaka
SWE-W: Musovic; Bjorn, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldahl, Rubensson; Rytting Kaneryd, Asllani, Rolfo; Blackstenius
JAP-W vs SWE-W Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Musovic (Cr - 8, Pts - 153)
DEF: Shimzu (Cr - 8, Pts - 161), Ilestedt (Cr - 9, Pts - 356), Minami (Cr - 8, Pts - 163)
MID: Miyazawa (Cr - 9, Pts - 407), Asllani (Cr - 9, Pts - 66), Hasegawa (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 148), Fujino (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 194)
FW: Rolfo (Cr - 9, Pts - 134), Tanaka (Cr - 9, Pts - 214), Endo (Cr - 8, Pts - 161),
Vice-captain: Mia Tanaka
Captain: Hinata Miyazawa
Also check out here Japan Women - World Cup Records and Stats and Sweden Women - World Cup Records and Stats
