High-flying Japan faces refiguring Norway in an entertaining round of 16 tie of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
JPN-W vs NOR-W Match Details
Date: Saturday, 5 August 2023
Time: 13:30 (IST) / 20:00 (ACT)
Venue: Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
JPN-W vs NOR-W Match Preview
Any chances of the clash between two technically crafted teams in the tournament being a close one were blown out as Japan thrashed Spain 4-0 in the final Group C encounter. Golden Boot chaser Hinata Miyazawa gave a 12th-minute lead by getting on the end of Jun Endo’s cross. She got her second with a cracking finish past Misa Rodriguez after Riko Ueki’s deflected shot beat the Spanish keeper. Substitute Mina Tanaka rubbed salt on the Spanish wounds with her 82nd left-footed curler finishing the game off. Despite holding just 23% possession of the ball, Nadeshiko showed their jaw-dropping finishing by going 3-0 up in as many counter-attacks in the first half. They ended with four goals from five shots on target being devastatingly clinical. This was also the second-largest margin of victory for an Asian side against a European nation in the finals. As a case, Japan finished top of their group setting up a last-16 tie with Norway. The 2011 winners certainly have been the standout team in the tournament by becoming the only one to progress from the group stages with a 100% record. The way they have thrashed teams clearly signals Futoshi Ikeda's side's intent in this tournament. Impressively, Japan have also scored more goals than anyone in the tournament and is yet to concede a goal. With such a rampaging momentum, they have little to fear as they face their next hurdle having progressed to their fifth knockouts and four in a row.
Watching Japan in full perfection will be a big concern for Norway despite surviving the group stages with a 6-0 routing of newcomers Philippines in the last match. Restored back to the starting eleven, Caroline Graham Hansen scored a sublime goal on the half-hour mark after Sophie Haug’s two quick strikes threw the Asian nation out of contention for the knockouts. The AS Roma striker went on to complete her hat-trick later in the match with Alicia Barker scoring an own goal and Guro Reiten from the spot scoring before in the second half. Hege Riise’s team found their lost intensity in the game after drawing with Switzerland and losing to co-hosts New Zealand. Also, finding the net for the first time in this tournament and ending the winless run of four games at the finals since 2019. After two dull performances, Norway will be relaxed of making out of the group stages in a four-horse race, unlike the Euros in the last summer’s Euros. The question is whether they could go far from the last-16 stage. The Scandinavian nation beat Japan in the only other meeting in the Women’s World Cup by 4-0 back in 1999 with their manager Riisa being part of the playing team in that game. Such an outcome will be improbable for this Norway team as Nadeshiko have been queens of one-sided affairs so far in the contest. To match their 2019 run to the quarterfinals, the 1995 champions will somehow have to cause a seismic shock in the last-16 like they did against Australia back then.
Recent Form (Women’s World Cup)
JPN-W: WWW
NOR-W: WDL
JPN-W vs NOR-W Team News
Mina Tanaka, Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino will come back into the starting eleven after beginning from the bench against Spain. Hana Takahashi could also retain her place in the back three with captain Saki Kumagai and Moeke Minami. As is Jun Endo keeping her place in the left wingback position. Hinata Miyazawa is the joint top scorer of the tournament willing to renew the partnership with Tanaka having the joint most assists in this edition of the competition.
Having found their groove in the last match, Norway are expected to stick to their starting eleven that beat the Philippines. That means hat-trick hero Sophie Haug continues up front in the absence of Ada Hegerberg still battling a groin injury. Barcelona’s Ingrid Engen stays on the bench since dropped from the lineup in the opening game with Boe Risa continuing in midfield. However, her clubmate Caroline Graham Hansen retain her place after being restored to the starting team in the last match.
JPN-W vs NOR-W Predicted Lineups
JPN-W: Yamashita; Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Naomoto, Hasegawa, Endo; Fujino, Miyazawa; Tanaka
NOR-W: Mikalsen; Bjelde, Mjelde, Harviken, Hansen; Maanum, Boe Risa, Reiten; Hansen, Haug, Haavi
JPN-W vs NOR-W Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Yamashita (Cr - 8, Pts - 102)
DEF: Bjelde (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 129), Mjelde (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 129), Minami (Cr - 8, Pts - 136)
MID: Miyazawa (Cr - 9, Pts - 307), Fujino (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 141), Naomoto (Cr - 8, Pts - 118), Reiten (Cr – 9, Pts - 134)
FW: Tanaka (Cr - 9, Pts - 207), Haug (Cr - 9, Pts - 179), Endo (Cr - 8, Pts - 142)
Vice-captain: Mina Tanaka
Captain: Hinata Miyazawa
Japan’s number one Ayaka Yamashita have kept a clean sheet in every match played in the 2023 Women’s World Cup so far.
Mina Tanaka has provided joint-most assists with 3 and has also found the net twice.
Hinata Miyazawa is leading the tournament’s scoring chart with 4 goals to her name. She has also combined for the second-most goals with 5.
