Let’s take a look at the player ratings from the quarter-final match that took place at Eden Park in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sweden booked a spot in the semi-finals for the fifth time in nine FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances on Friday by beating Japan 2-1.
Japan, who defeated Spain 4-0 and Norway 3-1 in their previous two games, looked a shadow of their old selves. Hopes of winning a fifth straight World Cup game quickly went up in smoke in Auckland. They had no answer for Sweden in the first half, failing to make a single shot.
Sweden dictated the play right from the start and deservedly took the lead in the 32-minute. Amanda Ilestedt did the honors by slamming the ball into the net after a Sweden free-kick from 25 yards out. It was her fourth goal of the tournament and gave Sweden a half-time lead.
The Swedes doubled their advantage in the second half after a VAR review deemed that Fuka Nagano handled the ball inside the box. Filippa Angeldahl didn’t hesitate, she took the spot-kick and sent Japan keeper Ayaka Yamashita the wrong way to score.
From that point on, Japan upped their game. They began pressuring Sweden, and while Riko Ueki missed a penalty, Honoka Hayashi got a goal back for the Japanese in the 87th minute. Her effort set up a nervy end for Sweden, but the Swedes endured to win the game – even after 11 minutes of added time.
Sweden will now face Spain in the World Cup semi-finals next Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.
Japan Women vs Sweden Women Player Ratings
JAPAN: Ayaka Yamashita (6); Moeka Minami (5), Saki Kumagai (6), Hana Takahashi (6); Risa Shimizu, (7) Fuka Nagano (5), Yui Hasegawa (7), Hina Sugita (6); Aoba Fujino (7), Mina Tanaka (5), Hinata Miyazawa (5).
BENCH: Riko Ueki (6), Jun Endo (6), Honoka Hayashi (8), Kiko Seike (N/A), Maika Hamano (N/A).
SWEDEN: Zecira Musovic (7); Nathalie Bjorn (7), Amanda Ilestedt (8), Magdalena Eriksson (7), Jonna Andersson (6); Elin Rubensson (7), Filippa Angeldahl (7); Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5), Kosovare Asllani (7), Fridolina Rolfo (6); Stina Blackstenius (5).
BENCH: Madelen Janogy (6), Lina Hurtig (6), Sofia Jakobsson (6), Hanna Bennison (6).
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