Japan’s gamers have fun on the finish of the the Girls’s World Cup Group C soccer match towards Spain in Wellington, New Zealand, on July 31, 2023.
| Picture Credit score: AP
Hinata Miyazawa scored twice and arrange one other as Japan shocked Spain 4-0 on the Girls’s World Cup on Monday to arrange a conflict with Norway within the knockout stage.
The Japanese delivered a lesson in medical counter-attacking and led 3-0 at half-time to concern a World Cup warning towards one of many title favourites.
The 2011 champions Japan topped the group to play one other former winner in Norway whereas Spain will face Switzerland within the final 16.
Miyazawa’s brace took her to 4 targets for the event whereas Riko Ueki and Mina Tanaka bagged the others for a vastly spectacular Japan.
Boasting a number of European membership stars, Spain dominated possession in entrance of a crowd of 20,957 in Wellington.
However they did not create a single clear likelihood as Japan soaked up stress and broke with tempo, with deadly impact.
It was a tactical masterclass from Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda, whose workforce denied house and time to Barcelona stars Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati.
“The Spanish workforce, with that type of offence, we determined to reply with a compact defence,” Ikeda mentioned.
“As soon as we recovered the ball, we tried to assault to the utmost at pace.”
Japan’s three first-half makes an attempt resulted in three blistering targets as their speedy entrance line took benefit of a disorganised Spanish defence lacking injured captain Ivana Andres.
It was Japan’s first win in 5 makes an attempt over Spain.
Their 11 targets is essentially the most by any workforce on the event whereas they’re one in all 4 sides but to concede a aim.
Miyazawa can be the event’s main scorer, though she was denied an opportunity so as to add to her 4 targets when changed at halftime.
A beaming Miyazawa mentioned main the race for the golden boot was a shock and a “nice pleasure”.
“I by no means imagined it. The entire targets are due to the opposite gamers giving me the fitting passes. So it is everyone’s aim, not simply me,” she mentioned.
With each groups having already certified after coasting previous pool opponents Zambia and Costa Rica, sixth-ranked Spain had been thought-about the favourites to high the group.
Solely needing a draw to take action, the Europeans managed the ball for lengthy intervals however that they had few solutions when their opponents broke with pace.
Spain coach Jorge Vilda conceded he’d been out-thought tactically.
“As the top coach I am accountable for this defeat,” he mentioned.
“Sure I used to be stunned, they had been exerting lots of stress.
“We needed to break this low block that that they had however we weren’t in a position to get previous their traces to assault… and little by little they began scoring targets.
“We’ve got not seen the perfect Spanish workforce but and I am satisfied that towards Switzerland the workforce will react positively.”
The opener got here within the twelfth minute when Miyazawa outpaced the defence to achieve Jun Endo’s curling cross from midway earlier than slotting low previous Misa Rodriguez.
Miyazawa turned supplier within the twenty ninth minute, driving ahead earlier than discovering Ueki, whose shot took an enormous deflection and snuck inside the highest nook.
One other lightning fast counter gave Miyazawa house and the striker blasted powerfully previous Rodriguez 5 minutes earlier than the interval.
Substitute Tanaka’s sensational 82nd minute aim got here after a scorching solo run from the touchline that turned the defence inside out.
Ikeda has high quality at his disposal, having made 5 modifications to his aspect who beat Costa Rica, together with the choice of forwards Miyazawa and Ueki over in-form Tanaka and Aoba Fujino.dgi/pst