August 12, 2004

Details and commentary on the Japan win over Sweden

By Women's Soccer World reporter Colin Aldis

After a pre-match training session on August 10^th, , Sweden's head coach, Marika Domanski-Lyfors said that her team was ranked high in the world and she was confident they would win the game. She also warned that Japan was very fast, and they would have to be careful against a team that had experience in most of the major competitions.

For some strange reason Sweden have difficulty in the first match of a tournament. They did not win their opening matches in World Cups 1991, 1995 and 2003, or at the Olympic games of 1996 and 2000, and this was the case again . With some quick and skilful play it was Japan who caused the 2003 World Cup runners-up some real problems, especially in the first half.

On a hot (34C) and sunny evening in the brand new stadium, it was in just the fifth minute that Otani struck an angled shot which had to be caught by keeper Jonsson. Then a corner on the right produced a strong downward header by Arakawa, and Ostberg did a great job for her team to block and clear the ball off the goal-line. In the eighteenth minute a cross from the left was brilliantly hooked away by Westberg just as one of her Japanese opponents was stealing in behind her to tap the ball home.

The only goal in the game came from a free kick on the right and a flicked on header by Miyamoto. This sent the ball into the danger zone where Jonsson dived down to collect it, but under a little pressure she failed to hold on. The ball squirmed away and Arakawa won the tussle with Westberg to reach it, and she stabbed the ball into the right corner of the empty net. Japan went close again with a neat move, but a low shot from Sawa went just wide of the left post.

In the 37^th minute Sweden created their only real chance of the first half with Sjogran moving in from the left, and hitting a strong shot on target that keeper Yamago safely caught. Just 3 minutes later Jonsson made the save of the match, as another neat move on the right allowed Sawa to head the ball towards the right corner. The keeper flew to her left and pushed it away with the return shot going into the side-netting.

There was yet another chance for Japan before the break, as a defence splitting pass sent Sawa clear but her delicate chip shot went agonizingly close just outside the left post. On the hour mark, Arakawa almost added another with a shot she lifted just over the bar. Despite more effort by Sweden and some player changes in the second half, this was a below par performance resulting in the rankings being reversed by Japan.

Towards the end, Sweden created a few chances, and Mostrom hit a low shot just wide of the right post. In stoppage time there was a last chance from a narrow angle for substitute Ovqist but the Japanese keeper made a safe catch.

So Japan had three valuable points and added confidence for the match against the un-predictable Nigeria on Saturday in Athens.