2023-08-11 09:33:42
Women’s World Cup 2023
They took out the United States, world champion, and now they realize the difficult Japan.
Sweden vs South Africa
Photo: Marty Melville / AFP
By:
Jenny Gámez A.
August 11, 2023, 04:33 a.m. m.
Sweden put on the favorite suit when they eliminated the United States in the round of 16 and ratified it in the quarterfinals by taking out one of the most solid teams in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The new victim was Japan, who might not beat a practical rival and who gave him a few drops of his speed medicine, and thus the final 2-1 had no discussion.
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Women’s World Cup 2023
It was a first half of a superlative athletic level, a brutal demand and an exhibition by the Swedes, who always attacked well and lethally, just what the Japanese failed to do.
As soon as the game started, Asllani had the first option in what his opponents are famous for: a quick counterattack ended in a powerful but barely deflected shot.
Japan tried to balance the loads, fought more than they played and very rarely found available spaces in the solid yellow defensive block. The team accused of fatigue that throughout the World Cup was pure vertigo.
Until, following 32 minutes, that danger from those in yellow went up on the scoreboard: between Bjorn and Eriksson they made way for their teammate Asllani in the crowded area following a defective rejection by goalkeeper Yamashita and a fair 1-0 fell that would lead the key. In fact, at 41 the same attacker crashed into the post what should have been the second goal.
It seemed that the complement would bring that sharp game from the Japanese but at 49, a childish hand from Nagano ended in a penalty, at the behest of the VAR, which Angeldahl charged to leave the score 2-0. End of story.
Because time was lacking but in Japan it was hard to think. They rarely managed to get close to Musovic, who in any case appeared to reject a great attempt at speed, one more of those who tried so hard and always finished badly.
Everything that might come out in Japan came out like this, as in a nightmare: at minute 75 he scored a penalty that would have put him back in the game, but Ueki crashed the ball off the crossbar.
In the last minutes, the strong play of the winners was constant (and in Europe they complain and consider it very South American), a free kick from Fujino went past Musovic and exploded once more on the crossbar, until at 86 came the just prize for the delivery of the Asians: a bad rejection in the area and Hayashi appeared from behind for the discount… too late.
The 2-1 victory rewarded the best player and put them face to face with Spain, the other team classified on their side of the draw, in what is already a great game in the semifinal.
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