Soccer World Cup

Nadeshiko out for Revenge against Sweden

AP
Japan’s Hana Takahashi, left, kicks the ball clear of Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius during the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Japan and Sweden at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:53 JST, August 11, 2023

Nadeshiko’s quarterfinal clash against Sweden at the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicked off in Aukland, New Zealand, on Friday evening, with 11th-ranked Japan out for revenge at Eden Park Stadium after falling to the Swedes in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Ranked third at this year’s World Cup, Sweden has several players over 170 centimeters tall and the Swedes utilize their height advantage to score goals from crosses off the wings.

The Japanese players will have to rely on their superior ball control skills to stifle the Swedish threat on the flanks, as they aim to reach the semifinals of the competition for the first time since 2015.