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AP Japan’s players celebrate after Hinata Miyazawa scored their third goal during the Women’s World Cup second round soccer match between Japan and Norway in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023.
The Japan News
17:05 JST, August 5, 2023
Nadeshiko Japan continued their dominant display at the 2023 Women’s World Cup with a 3-1 win against 12th-ranked Norway in the round of 16 at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, on Saturday.
The victory secured 11th-ranked Japan a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015.
Nadeshiko will face the winner of Sunday’s round-of-16 match between the United States and Sweden in a quarterfinal on Friday.
Japan maintained a high percentage of possession throughout the match and continued to create scoring chances.
A Norwegian own goal gave Nadeshiko the lead in the 15th minute, but Japan conceded 5 minutes later. With the score tied at 1-1, Risa Shimizu put Japan ahead in the 50th minute. Hinata Miyazawa extended Japan’s lead in the 81st minute with a fabulous solo effort from a counterattack.
Japan, which is aiming to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2011, topped their group in the first round, beating Zambia 5-0, Costa Rica 2-0, and Spain 4-0. Nadeshiko’s 11-goal haul in the group stage was the highest among the 32 participating teams.
