A Women’s World Cup of change, of unexpected early departures and tantalizing arrivals, has completed its progression into certainty and tradition.
There are no former champions left in the tournament with two rounds to go.
The United States, with four world championships, and Germany, with two, lost early. Norway, the winner in 1995, was eliminated. And now Japan, the 2011 winner, exited the quarterfinals with a 2-1 loss to Sweden on Friday in Auckland, New Zealand.
Of course, it would be grossly inaccurate to consider Sweden an arriviste. It has participated in all nine Women’s World Cups, finishing second in 2003 and third three times. But it has never won a major tournament and is looking to become a first-time champion.
Sweden will face Spain in the semifinals after stifling Japan’s versatile attack in the first half and then defending its tournament life in the second. It built a seemingly safe lead early in the second half by scoring twice indirectly in its specialty, set pieces, then held on as Japan, desperate and energized, produced a ferocious, if unsuccessful, to be charged.
Japan, which has scored 14 goals in its first four matches and seems a decent pick as the best team remaining in the tournament, didn’t manage a shot in the first half. It woke up as the exit door rang, creating frantic chances in the second half. But it will long regret the missed penalty kick in the 75th minute.
“We fought so hard because we wanted it,” said Japan’s captain, Saki Kumagai, through tears. “We want to go to the next round, of course.”
Sweden’s victory, Spain’s first trip to the semifinals and Japan’s exit seem to be in keeping with the spirit of a World Cup with the biggest tournament field, the highest attendance at this stage and the most welcoming embrace of the newly risen and revealing the ambitions of teams such as Colombia, Jamaica, Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco.
Finally, FIFA can begin to say with some legitimacy that the Women’s World Cup offers an event of global, not just regional or entrenched, potential. The other side of the draw is a similar reflection of that growth: Australia will face France, and England, the reigning European champions, will play Colombia.
On Friday, Sweden pressed high in the first half to suffocate Japan’s attacks. But when they had the ball, Sweden were patient, using short passes to maintain possession and looking for long balls to exploit their height and aerial skills.
In the 32nd minute, Sweden’s set-piece mastery delivered a defiant goal. Six of its 11 goals in the tournament came directly or indirectly from set pieces — four from corner kicks. This time, midfielder Kosovare Asllani’s free kick thundered into the penalty area, and defender Magdalena Eriksson kept the game alive with three jabs at the ball. Finally, it fell to her fellow centre-back, Amanda Ilestedt, who scored from just inside the six-yard box.
“I thought, ‘I’m just going to throw it away now,'” Ilestedt said. “So that’s a good feeling.”
Even before that, however, Sweden set a physical tone against smaller, younger Japanese players.
“They never played, like, a physical team until they played us,” said Swedish substitute Sofia Jakobsson, who plays for the San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League. “We are bigger than them and can go for harder tackles.”
As the second half opened, Japan’s goalkeeper, Ayaka Yamashita, pushed a shot wide from the charging Johanna Kaneryd, giving Sweden a corner kick. Fuka Nagano handled the ball as the corner drove into the crowd in front of the Japan goal, and after a video review, Sweden were awarded a penalty kick. Filippa Angeldal put the ball down and to the left, giving Sweden a 2-0 lead.
It is not a safe.
“Something happened,” Jakobsson said. “I don’t know if they are growing in the game or we are getting more tired.”
After playing a more defensive-minded first half, Japan’s attack was sparked by substitute Jun Endo. Sweden are hoping for a spirited comeback, with Eriksson warning ahead of that match that Japan’s attack can “come from anywhere and they will never stop.” His comment proved prophetic.
In the 75th minute, Japan won a penalty kick when substitute forward Riko Ueki’s heel was clipped by Sweden’s Madelen Janogy. But Ueki’s shot ricocheted off the crossbar, and his header on the rebound curled high into the goal.
Sweden’s left back Jonna Andersson then suggested his team was living a charmed existence in the knockout rounds, having survived a penalty shootout just five days earlier to eliminate the United States.
Andersson smiled and said he preferred to believe it was the impressive presence of Sweden’s superb goalkeeper, Zecira Musovic, rather than luck, that again made the difference, even with Ueki’s attempt. “Maybe it’s a good goalkeeper who takes a bit of energy or disrupts the penalty taker,” Andersson said.
In the 87th minute, Japan finally scored on Honoka Hayashi’s rebound after Sweden’s failed clearance that gave her an easy shot past Musovic. But even 10 minutes of extra time is not enough to find a goal.
Japan is gone. And a first-time Women’s World Cup champion awaits its crown.
“I think we have the team to go all the way,” Andersson said. “And now we’re closer.”
