AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Sweden and Spain are through to the semi-final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, following wins over Japan and Netherlands respectively.
Sweden stuns Japan 2-1
Sweden first knocked off the United States and then bounced Japan on Friday to snag a spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup.
The Swedes, the World Cup runners-up in 2003 and three-time third-place finishers, eliminated previously unbeaten Japan 2-1 in Friday’s quarter-final. With Japan out of the lineup, this year’s World Cup will crown a first-time winner.
The sold-out crowd at Eden Park, where Sweden will play in the semi-finals on Tuesday against Spain, danced to songs by Swedish rock band Abba as it was played throughout the stadium after the win.
Amanda Ilestedt scored a first-half goal and Filippa Angeldal converted a second-half penalty to give Sweden the mild upset and send the Swedes to the semi-finals for the fifth time.
“I think we showed that we can play really good football,” said Ilestedt. “The teamwork we are showing, it’s unbelievable. Winning just feels amazing.”
Japan had been so prolific with 14 goals in rolling to a 4-0 tournament record, but Japan struggled for most of the game to keep up with the taller Swedish team. When Sweden went up 2-0 late in the second, Japan seemed out of the tournament.
But the Japanese finally made a late comeback and seriously pressured Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, who is fresh off a World Cup-record 11 saves in the win over the United States.
Riko Ueki´s penalty attempt for Japan in the 76th minute hit the crossbar and bounced clear of the goal, but Musovic was finally beaten in the 86th minute when substitute Honoka Hayashi cut Sweden’s lead to 2-1.
Saki Kumagai, playing in her fourth World Cup and Japan’s captain, was in tears with the rest of her teammates following the loss.
“We fought so hard because we wanted it,” she said. “We want to go to the next round, of course. We will come back stronger.”
Japan´s exit means there will be a first-time winner at this World Cup. Japan won in 2011, and previous winners Germany, Norway and the United States were all eliminated earlier in the tournament.
Ilestedt broke through for Sweden in the 32nd minute off a free kick that ricocheted among the players in front of the goal before landing at her feet for the goal. It was the defender´s fourth of the World Cup.
Angeldal added the penalty kick in the 51st minute after Fuka Nagano’s handball in the box was confirmed by video review.
Japan’s run in the World Cup ended with 14 goals, more than any team left in the tournament. Hinata Miyazawa finished with five of those goals to lead the Golden Boot race, matching the team record set by Homare Sawa in Japan’s 2011 title run.
Sweden was riding high after eliminating the two-time defending champion Americans on penalties following a scoreless draw on Sunday. The victory came by just millimeters, when goal-line technology showed that Lina Hurtig’s attempt crossed the line before it could be saved by American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Japan, No. 11 in the FIFA rankings, earned a place in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Norway.
The game was a clash of styles from the start: third-ranked Sweden was more physical while Japan was more technical. Sweden dominated possession for much of the match and had the better chances.
Stina Blackstenius beat a defender Saki Kumagai and faced Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita one-on-one in the 25th minute but her shot went wide.
After Ilestedt’s goal, Kosovare Asllani nearly doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, but her blast from the top of the box was pushed away by a diving Yamashita.
Angeldal’s penalty appeared to rattle the Japanese, who struggled against the taller and more athletic Swedes. Japan didn’t get a shot off until the 63rd minute. Japan had scored at least twice in each of its previous games, but had never come back from down two goals in World Cup play.
Spain edges Netherlands 2-1
Jorge Vilda was more interested in the aftermath back in Spain if his team won its Women´s World Cup quarter-final than he was about a rattling 5.0 magnitude earthquake that shook Wellington an hour before kickoff against Netherlands.
Salma Paralluelo was unshaken by the tremblor or the high-pressure stakes, scoring late in extra time Friday to give Spain a 2-1 victory and a place in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time.
“We were so concentrated,” Spain coach Vilda said, recalling how his team prepared for the game even as the ground shook. “Yes, it was a middle (moderate) shake, an earthquake, but not today. The earthquake was the victory of Spain.”
The 19-year-old Paralluelo started the match on the bench for the first time at this World Cup and made her entry just in time to make history.
Spain dominated a scoreless first half and 2019 finalist Netherlands had a penalty scrubbed out by the VAR in the 62nd minute after a tussle between Irene Paredes on Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn.
Mariona Caldentey scored from the spot in the 81st minute after defender Stefanie van der Gragt was penalized for hand ball as a cross was fired into the area.
Then van der Gragt, moving up front, scored in stoppage time to equalize at 1-1 and send the match into extra time.
Paralluelo broke down the left off Jennie Hermosa´s pass in the 111th minute, swiveled past one defender, propped and sent her left-foot shot into the far corner of the net. Spain will meet either No. 3-ranked Sweden or 2011 champion Japan in the semifinals.
“It was a unique moment, great euphoria to have lived through that,” Paralluelo said.
Vilda rode the roller-coaster of emotions that fans in Spain and the Netherlands, watching a match that for them kicked off at 3 a.m., and the 32,000 fans in the stadium experienced.
“They played an extraordinary level, all players, and there was a match with a lot of emotions,” Vilda said. “And the goal from Salma, it was sheer joy. We had to wait for a few minutes to get the end result of the whistle in the end, and I´m extremely happy.”
Vilda was confident that fans who watched in the early would not have been disappointed.
“It´s a great day for Spanish women´s football,” he said. “We´ve reached somewhere we´ve never reached before, and done it playing a good game as well, with a team that is convinced that we can go even further.”
He praised Paralluelo, a student athlete who specialized at running the 400-meters before turning to soccer, for filling her role so expertly, particular at a time when superstar Alexia Putellas’ playing time has been limited.
“Well, she came in or she helped us with what we wanted to achieve,” he said. “We wanted to rest our central defenders and in the second half Salma with her speed was going to be a substitute with other wingers who are very quick.
“Salma is a player with an enormous potential. And she´s not reached her best yet.”
The Dutch were unusually passive in the first half, at their most dangerous when they sent long balls forward.
Beerensteyn who had celebrated the United States´ exit from the tournament at an earlier news conference, was the greatest threat to Spain through the second half and in extra time when she had two good chances but couldn´t convert.
Spain also had narrow misses, in the 17th minute when Alba Redondo hit the post twice.
For Netherlands, the penalty that was awarded and then overturned was difficult to come to terms with.
“Well, look, I think the VAR didn´t do their work properly, but they (Spain) deserved to win,” Netherlands coach Andries Jonker said. “It´s just that this decision was wrong. It was wrong.”
“The main thing is, this is the Netherlands, we can play football, and we can win against Spain.”
Netherlands lost 2-0 to the United States in the 2019 World Cup final and this was another hard loss to take, coming by such fine margins.
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