FIFA Women's World Cup: Sweden hold off Japan, setting up ...
At Eden Park, Auckland: Sweden 2 (Amanda Ilestedt 32’, Filippa Angeldal 51’) Japan 1 (Honoka Hayashi 87’). HT: 1-0
Sweden have survived a late surge from Japan to advance to the semifinals at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Europeans didn’t concede a shot for more than hour on Friday night at Eden Park in Auckland, but had to navigate a nervy 10 minutes of stoppage time after Honoka Hayashi pulled a goal back for Japan in the 87th.
Amanda Ilestedt had scored her fourth goal of the World Cup – and her first with a foot – to put Sweden 1-0 up after half an hour, with Filippa Angeldal doubling their lead after 51 minutes from the penalty spot.
Japan only came to life in the final half-hour, hitting the crossbar twice – once from the penalty spot – before Hayashi finally found the back of the net, but there were no further heroics and Sweden prevailed 2-1 when the final whistle blew.
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Sweden centre back Amanda Ilestedt put them in front of Japan in their FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal.
The Swedes now play Spain in a semifinal at Eden Park on Tuesday – the last of 29 World Cup matches to take place on New Zealand soil, with the three to follow, including the final, set for Australia.
It took 25 minutes for the first shot on Friday in front of a 43,217-strong crowd, as Sweden and Japan began the match feeling each other out.
The first real chance of note fell to Stina Blackstenius, who did well to hold off Saki Kamagai’s challenge, but could only poke the ball wide to the right once she was through on goal.
Sweden denied Japan the chance to build through the middle with a compact, narrow setup, but they fashioned a dangerous attack of their own just minutes later.
Right wingback Risa Shimizu was afforded too much space on that flank by Swedish left back Jonna Andersson and got to the byline, but her deftly-weighted cross eluded Hina Sugita and couldn’t be rescued by Hinata Miyazawa.
Sweden won a free kick out in front when Kamagai came through the back of Blackstenius as she received a well-timed pass from centre back Magdalena Eriksson.
The ball in first fell to Nathalie Bjorn, who had two efforts from the right of the area, then to Eriksson, who had three attempts at poking the ball home from closer in.
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Sweden midfielder Filippa Angeldal wheels away after converting a penalty in their FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal against Japan.
Her third went through to Ilestedt, who made no mistake with her finish from right in front, putting Sweden ahead.
They came close to doubling their lead before halftime, when captain Kosovare Asllani had goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita beat with a shot from the edge of box that hit the right post and rebounded across goal to safety.
Yamashita had to be alert to deny Johanna Kaneryd at her left post early in the second half, but Sweden won a penalty from the ensuing corner, after a video assistant referee intervention found a handball by Fuka Nagano.
Angeldal converted the spot kick to double her side’s lead, leaving Japan – who hadn’t had a shot to that point – with a long way to go to get back in the game.
Japan finally registered an attempt in the 64th minute, when Aoba Fujino volleyed a cross from halftime substitute Jun Endo into the ground and it bounced over the crossbar.
Yui Hasegawa blazed over from inside the box soon after as Japan began to press, while Endo could have done better when she had acres of space, and Fujino drew a save from Zećira Mušović as the clock ticked past the 70th minute.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Honoka Hayashi scored for Japan in the 87th minute to set up a dramatic finish to their FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal against Sweden.
Japan were given a lifeline in the 74th minute, when Swedish substitute Madelen Janogy was judged to have brought down Riko Ueki, who then stepped up and sent her spot kick into the crossbar – but crucially for Sweden, not over the line.
There was another close shave as Fujino sent a free kick into the crossbar then Mušović’s back with just under five minutes to play. Hayashi was then on the spot after Eriksson blocked an initial attempt from Kiko Seike, but failed to clear the ball from the danger zone, but one goal didn’t become the two they needed.
With Japan eliminated, there will now be a first-time World Cup winner in 2023. But will it be Sweden? Or Spain, who beat the Netherlands 2-1 in extra time in Wellington earlier on Friday? Or Australia, Colombia, England or France, the four teams playing quarterfinals across the Tasman on Saturday? Five matches remain to decide precisely who.
