Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Vancouver: A repeat of last year’s AFC Women's Asian Cup final is on the cards at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup after reigning World and Asian champions Japan defeated the Netherlands 2-1 on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final clash with Australia.
Saori Ariyoshi opened the scoring ten minutes into the Round of 16 clash at the BC Place Stadium before her NTV Beleza team-mate Mizuho Sakaguchi put further distance between the holders and the tournament debutants with Japan’s second in the 78th minute. Sakaguchi’s goal proved critical with Kristen van den Ven getting on the scoresheet for the Netherlands in second-half stoppage time.
The margin of victory perhaps didn’t do justice to the Nadeshiko’s dominance although Japan were indebted to goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori, who showed sharp reflexes to deny the Dutch a second-half equaliser after Ariyoshi had headed the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners into an early lead.
Japan’s opener came ten minutes after Mexican referee Lucil Venegas had kicked-off the final Round of 16 match, with Japan looking to join Australia and China in the last eight after the duo had recorded 1-0 wins over Brazil and Cameroon respectively.
Yuki Ogumi, who had a spell in England with Chelsea Ladies FC before returning to the German Bundesliga where she was top scorer for Postdam in 2013 to join Wolfsburg, saw her header come off the crossbar before Ariyoshi dispatched the ball into the Netherlands goal.
Japan were in the ascendency but with Aya Sameshima firing over the bar and Shinobu Ohno heading just off target it was only Ariyoshi’s goal that separated the two sides going into the interval.
The pattern of Japanese control continued into the second half with the Dutch almost gifting the East Asians their second when Mandy Van Den Berg almost deflected Nahomi Kawasumi’s cross into her own net before Japan keeper Kaihori was on hand to deny the Netherlands the equaliser.
Japan extended their advantage with 12 minutes remaining courtesy of a fine finish from outside the penalty area from Sakaguchi, who would go on to be named the ‘Live Your Goals’ Player of the Match, and while substitute Van Den Ven was able to reduce the deficit two minutes into additional time when Kaihori let the FC Rosengard winger’s header slip through her hands, it was to be no more than a consolation for the Dutch as Japan advanced to a June 27 meeting with Australia in the quarter-finals.
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