Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt celebrates with teammates after defeating Japan within the FIFA Girls’s World Cup quarterfinals in Auckland on August 11, 2023.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Amanda Ilestedt scored her fourth purpose of the event and Filippa Angeldal netted a penalty as Sweden held on to beat Japan 2-1 on August 11 and arrange a Girls’s World Cup semifinal with Spain.
Centre-back Ilestedt poked in simply after the half-hour mark at Eden Park in Auckland to offer Sweden a deserved lead and go away Japan trailing for the primary time on the World Cup.
Angeldal made it 2-0 from a penalty seven minutes into the second half earlier than Japan tried a comeback, with Riko Ueki lacking a spot-kick and Honoka Hayashi pulling one again with three minutes left of regular time.
Sweden then survived a late storm to advance to the semifinals for the third time in 4 World Cups.
The exit of the 2011 champions Japan, following the US, Germany and Norway, means there aren’t any former winners left and a brand-new title will seem on the trophy after subsequent weekend’s last in Sydney.
If Sweden, runners-up in 2003, are to get there they should win a semifinal in Auckland subsequent Tuesday towards Spain, who defeated the Netherlands 2-1 earlier Friday in Wellington.
This was billed as the last word conflict of footballing kinds, between a slick and medical Japan and a extra rugged and aggressive Sweden.
Peter Gerhardsson’s Swedish group took the sport to their opponents, who sat again in a 5-4-1 out of possession however had been hardly ever given the house to spring ahead on the counterattack like that they had achieved to such devastating impact in earlier rounds.
Japan had began to dream of a run to match their exceptional triumph in 2011 however as a substitute discover themselves eradicated by the hands of the identical group that beat them within the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics two years in the past.
The opener arrived within the thirty second minute following a set-piece, precisely the situation the place the Japanese had been anticipated to battle towards their extra bodily imposing opponents.
The Nadeshiko didn’t clear their strains as a free-kick dropped of their field, and the ball ultimately fell to Ilestedt to stab into the roof of the web after her centre-back associate Magdalena Eriksson had an effort blocked.
Ilestedt, who has simply signed for Arsenal, had already netted 3 times within the group section and is, remarkably, a contender to win the golden boot with present main scorer Hinata Miyazawa, on 5 targets, now out.
Frantic finale
Miyazawa had little affect on this recreation and Sweden may have scored once more earlier than half-time, with captain Kosovare Asllani having a shot turned onto the put up by the outstretched fingertips of Ayaka Yamashita.
The Japan goalkeeper then produced one other superb save two minutes after the restart to push a Johanna Kaneryd shot behind for a nook.
But it was that nook which led to the second purpose. The supply from the fitting struck the fist of Fuka Nagano in her personal field, and the Liverpool participant’s offence was noticed by the referee after a evaluate.
Manchester Metropolis midfielder Angeldal stepped as much as convert the spot-kick, sending Yamashita the flawed method.
Japan didn’t surrender and gained a penalty within the 76th minute when substitute Ueki went down underneath the slightest of contact from Madelen Janogy.
It was a tender award, however Ueki couldn’t convert, smashing her kick off the underside of the bar and out.
The woodwork rescued Sweden once more within the 87th minute when Aoba Fujino’s free-kick remarkably hit the bar, rebounded off the again of goalkeeper Zecira Musovic and struck the put up.
But seconds later Japan had a purpose again as Eriksson didn’t take care of Kiko Seike’s centre and Hayashi pounced to attain, organising a frantic finale.