On Friday, 11 August, the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) faced the Sweden Women's National Team in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ at Auckland, New Zealand, where they lost 1-2.

Following their 3-1 victory over Norway in the round of 16, Japan made just one change to their starting lineup, as SUGITA Hina (Portland Thorns FC) was given the start in the left wing. MIYAZAWA Hinata (Mynavi Sendai Ladies), who has scored five goals in the competition, led the offence along with FUJINO Aoba (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza) and TANAKA Mina (INAC Kobe Leonessa).

The match started with Sweden controlling the ball possession, but the Japanese players showed great composure to fend off the attacks, as TAKAHASHI Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies) demonstrated her strength in the air to clear the ball away from the goal area. In the 28th minute, Miyazawa delivered a long feed to switch the point of attack, which was followed by a cross delivered by SHIMIZU Risa (West Ham United), but Japan was unable to finish this play with a shot.

Japan conceded the lead for the first time in the competition, when Sweden’s Amanda ILESTEDT converted a loose ball following a free kick in the 32nd minute. The Scandinavian side came close to doubling their lead in the 42nd minute when Kosovare ASLLANI struck a shot from the edge of the box, but Japanese goalkeeper YAMASHITA Ayaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa) made a fingertip-save to keep the ball from finding the back of the net.

In an effort to rally back, Japan introduced ENDO Jun (Angel City FC) to start the second half, but it was Sweden who scored the next goal. The decisive moment came in the 48th minute when the ball struck the hand of NAGANO Fuka (Liverpool FC) following a Swedish corner kick. Although the play continued on for a bit, a penalty was given after the play was reviewed by VAR. With Filippa ANGELDAL converting the spot kick, Sweden extended their lead in the 51st minute.

Immediately after this goal, UEKI Riko (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza) was introduced off the bench, which gave Japan increased ball possession and led to more shots from players like Fujino and HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City). In the 74th minute, Ueki was brought down inside the box to earn a penalty kick, but the shot taken by the striker was denied by the woodwork.

Japan managed to score back a goal in the 87th minute, when HAYASHI Honoka (West Ham United) capitalised on a deflection caused by a shot taken by SEIKE Kiko (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies). However, despite their late surge, Japan fell short from finding the equaliser, losing the match 1-2.

The Nadeshiko Japan came into the competition hoping to win their first FIFA Women's World Cup™ since 2011. Despite improving their finish from the previous World Cup, their campaign was cut short in the quarterfinals. The team will now prepare ahead of their international friendly match against Argentina, scheduled on Saturday, 23 September at Kitakyushu Stadium, and next year’s Summer Olympics (Paris 2024).

Coach and Players' Comments

IKEDA Futoshi, Head Coach (Nadeshiko Japan)
First of all, I would like to congratulate Sweden for their victory. They showed great coverage in midfield and took advantage of the mismatches during the first half. Although we tried to put pressure on them, they effectively utilised the long balls to exploit the spaces behind our defence, and it took a while for us to make adjustments. This match reminded us of the need to improve our intensity and ability to win the ball, both as a team and as individuals. The team and the players showed great improvements over the competition, and really showcased the Nadeshiko Japan football to the world, but we are also aware of the fact that we lost in the quarterfinals. I really appreciate the work the players have put forth in preparation for this tournament and I am proud to have competed with them.

GK #1 YAMASHITA Ayaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
The opposing centre-forwards were making free runs, so we wanted to make sure that the three defenders were not drawn out, especially when dealing with their crosses. We had a hard time pressing the ball when our opponents had a numerical advantage, but that was something we were able to correct in the second half. It is regretful that we gave up those set pieces. Both sides played good football, and I consider this as our best game of the tournament. The Nippon call, especially in the second half, was something I had never heard before in my football career and made me want to return to this stage once more.

DF #3 MINAMI Moeka (AS Roma/Italy)
Our opponents analysed us very well and really exposed the spaces behind our defence line. It was hard to keep track of our marks and we were falling behind on many occasions. We failed to make adjustments during the first half, which disabled us from moving the ball forward. It also forced (Miyazawa) Hinata and (Fujino) Aoba to make frequent runs back, making it hard for them to make offensive contributions. I want to make the most of this bitter experience and strive to become a better player that can help the team win matches like these. I really liked this team and didn’t want the tournament to end. We must acknowledge what we lacked and work hard to improve ourselves.

DF #4 KUMAGAI Saki (AS Roma/Italy)
I am very disappointed. We had plenty of chances to equalise, but we just didn’t have what it takes to win the match. Nevertheless, I would like to thank my teammates for all their efforts. It is frustrating especially because we knew Sweden's strength was in set pieces, and we tried to avoid fouling as much as possible. This was a very good team, so I wish we could have made it deeper. We had a lot of shortcomings as a team, but I feel like we were able to demonstrate that the Nadeshiko Japan is able to compete at the world stage.

MF #15 FUJINO Aoba (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
In the first half, it appeared as though our opponents were containing our strong points because of their quick transitions, which prevented us from launching counterattacks. We weren’t able to create chances using our speed, so we had to be more creative. Although we were able to apply more numbers in the attacking third and win the ball in deeper positions in the second half, it was a bit too late. We hope to build on the positives and keep trying to improve as a team since there were numerous times during the game when it seemed like the tide was turning in Japan's favour.

MF #16 HAYASHI Honoka (West Ham United/England)
Even after giving up the lead for the first time in the competition, we continued to support one another. We also had a lot of good chances, but it seemed like the goal was so far away. There wasn’t much time left, but I entered the match with the intention of winning the loose balls and revitalising our offence by distributing passes into the final third. The fact that I was able to score on a play that we had been practising makes me very happy, but I wish we had scored one more. This whole experience made me realise the magnitude of the World Cup and that there is no other stage like it. I hope to return to this stage with the strength and ability to win the title next time.

FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™

Tournament duration: Thu. 20 July - Sun. 20 August 2023
Group stage:
Sat. 22 July ◯ 5-0 vs Zambia
Wed. 26 July ◯ 2-0 vs Costa Rica
Mon. 31 July ◯ 4-0 vs Spain
Knockout stage:
Round of 16 - Sat. 5 August ◯ 3-1 vs Norway
Quarterfinals - Fri. 11 August ● 1-2 vs Sweden

Tournament information