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Fifa Ladies’s World Cup 2023 |
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Hosts: Australia and New Zealand Dates: 20 July-20 August |
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Protection: Dwell on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Dwell, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport web site & app. Full coverage details; latest news |
Japan are on the verge of qualifying for the Fifa Ladies’s World Cup spherical of 16 after a routine win over Costa Rica.
Hikaru Naomoto and Aoba Fujino each scored within the area of three first-half minutes to ease the 2011 champions to 3 factors.
Japan would be the first facet to safe their place in knockout phases, if Spain earn at the least some extent towards Zambia later.
Costa Rica will probably be eradicated from the World Cup if Spain keep away from defeat.
Japan get the job achieved
Since beautiful the soccer world by beating america within the 2011 last, Japan have underwhelmed on the worldwide stage.
However following the Tokyo Olympics – the place Japan have been eradicated within the quarter-finals on residence soil – Futoshi Ikeda was appointed supervisor and has put collectively a facet which has impressed with its attacking, possession-focused soccer.
Japan will face a lot harder checks than Costa Rica and Zambia of their opening recreation, and they’re going to must be extra scientific than they have been at Dunedin Stadium. Nevertheless, two wins and 7 targets can’t be ignored.
This recreation was settled by the twenty seventh minute – first Naomoto discovered the far left nook with a low shot from the left of the field, earlier than Fujino shrugged off a deal with on the appropriate wing, lower into the field and beat keeper Daniela Solera on the close to publish for her first Japan aim.
It was a second of redemption for Fujino following a weird incident on quarter-hour the place she prevented team-mate Risa Shimizu scoring with an inadvertent sliding deal with as each went to complete an opportunity.
Solera shines however Costa Rica outclassed
Costa Rica have been outclassed right here simply as they have been of their opening loss to Spain.
Nervous in possession, they weren’t technically in a position sufficient to play out from the again and inaccurate with lengthy balls, continuously ceding possession to their opponents.
Solera – who has now made a tournament-high 19 stops at this World Cup – was as soon as once more the one issue between Costa Rica and a really embarrassing scoreline.