england 2 japan 0
Japan 0 England 2
i was at the stadium in augsburg for this game. you could say that japan played all the football, but england got the goals and the win. japan took a while to settle, with england's physical approach certainly making them uncomfortable for a while. england looked to play the ball behind the japanese defence, and it was from one such ball that ellen white got the breakthrough, cleverly lobbing the keeper.
that goal took the pressure off england, and they knew that it would be difficult for them not to qualify for the quarterfinals. so they were content to sit back and play on the counter, even taking off kelly smith after an hour for aluko. eventually, yankey got that second goal.
the japanese never gave up but they just couldnt score.
i got this feeling that all the neutral german fans in the stadium were every bit as disappointed as the japanese girls themselves, because they felt that the football japan played had warranted at least a draw, if not a win.
i am very impressed by the technical ability of all the japanese players. even the centrebacks had outstanding technique.
i think the two japanese fullbacks are the best attacking fullbacks i have seen in the tournament so far. the right back kinga, like alex scott for england, pushes so high up that when you look at it from above, the game is skewed like a parallelogram, with both rightbacks starting level with their midfields.
aya miyama once again underlined her creativity and genius. i will always remember that corner when shinobu ohno came up to her offering the short option. she jsut stood there and gestured for ohno to take one step to the side, because she had seen kinga lurking free outside the box. she proceeded to pass it to kinga.
then there was another freekick where everyone was getting ready for her to whip it in, but she took it very quickly, passing it down the right for the rightback to get really close to the box and cross it.
i am really impressed by the quick-thinking, by the ideas in her head. it seems like she is always one step ahead.
so england got the win, as i had thought they could. i told you that england is a team that will grow into a tournament. they haven't been convincing, but they have avoided germany.
for japan, it is a familiar story. yet again winless against top european opposition. there is a sense of disappointment, having come into this game on such a high but not getting the result they wanted. they have to pick themselves up, because germany beckons next.
i was at the stadium in augsburg for this game. you could say that japan played all the football, but england got the goals and the win. japan took a while to settle, with england's physical approach certainly making them uncomfortable for a while. england looked to play the ball behind the japanese defence, and it was from one such ball that ellen white got the breakthrough, cleverly lobbing the keeper.
that goal took the pressure off england, and they knew that it would be difficult for them not to qualify for the quarterfinals. so they were content to sit back and play on the counter, even taking off kelly smith after an hour for aluko. eventually, yankey got that second goal.
the japanese never gave up but they just couldnt score.
i got this feeling that all the neutral german fans in the stadium were every bit as disappointed as the japanese girls themselves, because they felt that the football japan played had warranted at least a draw, if not a win.
i am very impressed by the technical ability of all the japanese players. even the centrebacks had outstanding technique.
i think the two japanese fullbacks are the best attacking fullbacks i have seen in the tournament so far. the right back kinga, like alex scott for england, pushes so high up that when you look at it from above, the game is skewed like a parallelogram, with both rightbacks starting level with their midfields.
aya miyama once again underlined her creativity and genius. i will always remember that corner when shinobu ohno came up to her offering the short option. she jsut stood there and gestured for ohno to take one step to the side, because she had seen kinga lurking free outside the box. she proceeded to pass it to kinga.
then there was another freekick where everyone was getting ready for her to whip it in, but she took it very quickly, passing it down the right for the rightback to get really close to the box and cross it.
i am really impressed by the quick-thinking, by the ideas in her head. it seems like she is always one step ahead.
so england got the win, as i had thought they could. i told you that england is a team that will grow into a tournament. they haven't been convincing, but they have avoided germany.
for japan, it is a familiar story. yet again winless against top european opposition. there is a sense of disappointment, having come into this game on such a high but not getting the result they wanted. they have to pick themselves up, because germany beckons next.
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