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. The result? Japan scored in droves at the Women’s World Cup.
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.
But it wasn’t quite enough to hold off Sweden, which knocked Japan out of the tournament with a 2-1 victory in a quarterfinal match on Friday night. Midfielder Jun Endo sat on the field for a long time after the final whistle, sobbing, as Sweden’s players celebrated.
“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.”
Amanda Ilestedt scored a first-half goal and Filippa Angeldal converted a second-half penalty to give Sweden a 2-0 lead. Japan couldn’t manage to break through until Honoka Hayashi’s goal in the 86th minute.
“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.
Ikeda said the team could be proud of their accomplishments. The Japanese swept the group stage without conceding a goal, then downed Norway 3-1 in the round of 16.
After all, Japan’s team was young, with an average age of just 24.9 years. “Since I became coach, I knew I was taking them to the World Cup and I, together with the players, have worked hard to this point,” he said. “The players have become one unit, working in the same direction. We created an environment where each player can grow.”—APP
