I'll be the first to admit that I doubted before the tournament that Japan was a side that could advance to the 2011 Women's World Cup final. Nobody can doubt Japan now that the second strong European side in a row to underestimate its quality has fallen. With a 1-0 win over Germany in the quarterfinal and a 3-1 victory against Sweden in the semifinal, Japan is already assured of its best World Cup finish ever.
However, you can bet that Japan is focused on winning the whole thing.
Before the 2011 World Cup began, Japanese captain Homare Sawa said she wanted to win a medal. This is Sawa's fifth World Cup appearance. Before now, her best result was back in her first World Cup in 1995 when Japan lost to the United States 4-0 in a quarterfinal. In Germany, Sawa has delivered the goods and propelled her team to the final. Sawa is tied with Marta for the lead in goals scored with four. She has scored the game-winning goal two times for Japan and provided the game-winning assist against Germany.
Against Sweden, Japan controlled every aspect of the game. Sweden's only goal (it managed a mere four shots) came when Sawa gave away the ball in the defensive half of the field and Josefine Oqvist pounced on the turnover and beat Japan goalie Ayumi Kaihori just 10 minutes into the match. Sawa would atone for the mistake in the 59th minute with a goal on a rebound.
Nahomi Kawasumi scored the other two goals for Japan, in the 19nd and 64th minutes. The first goal for Kawasumi may have been an own-goal. Kawasumi and Oqvist were battling for position as a cross from Aya Miyama came into the box and deflected off their legs into the net. Kawasumi's second goal was a gift from Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl that required a skillful shot. Lindahl took herself completely out of any chance to stop a shot trying to clear a ball played toward the top of the box. Her attempt went right to Kawasumi who chipped the ball from at least 35 yards out into the empty net.
Japan will meet the United States in the final on July 17.
source:yahoo.com
