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| Japan lose in bronze playoff |
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| Japan's Yuki Nagasato in action during the bronze medal playoff against Germany. |
BEIJING: Japan lost to Germany 2-0 in the women’s football playoff at the Workers' Stadium here on Thursday.
Fatmire Bajramaj proved the winning substitution coming on in the 60th minute and scoring twice late in the game to give the Germans third place in the tournament.
She broke the deadlock nine minutes after coming on after Kerstin Garefrekes' header was partially blocked by Japanese goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto.
Bajramaj hooked in the rebound from a tight angle to finally crack the Japanese resistance.
And she was again on the spot when she fired home from close range with three minutes left to clinch victory.
"All the players did their best, they did everything they had been working towards and we lost, but we will learn from our defeat," Japan coach Norioo Sasaki said.
Germany played well below their world champion status in a mistake-riddled opening half as the smaller Japanese players had the better scoring chances.
Striker Shinobu Ohno went close in the 13th minute before Japan were thwarted with three chances in as many minutes midway through the half.
Ava Miyama brought a flying one-handed diving save from German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer before the goalie was forced to tip a sizzling drive from Yukari Kinga over the bar less than a minute later.
Japan had another chance cleared off the line as the Germans lived dangerously.
Towards the end of the half the bigger Germans were getting more possession and territory as the Japanese defenders pluckily kept them out until the halftime whistle.
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