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The story so far
It’s been a faultless tournament so far for Japan, conceding only two goals and winning each encounter on the journey to the semi-finals. Some will argue however that the tournament schedule has been rather lenient on the reigning champions, placing them in a group with three Cup debutants, and then playing a fourth in the Round of 16. The toughest challenge was against the high-flying Australians whom they managed to overcome with a winning goal as the game took its final breaths.
They’ve been solid if not spectacular in coming this far but the method is working so it’s hardly likely to change. While they haven’t been the most enthralling team to watch in Canada they are comfortable knowing their game plan is good enough to grind out any team unfortunate enough to come up against them.
They’ll beat England because…
Japan have England’s measure in a number of areas on the football pitch but the ability they possess to control the tempo of the game will be of particular importance against an English side that wasn’t expected to make it this far. Much like the quarter-final clash against the Matildas, expect the Japanese to sit on possession in the centre of the pitch with a deep defence. This will force the English into long shots, the likes of which are far less likely to find the back of the net. Japan has stripped its game back to its barest form for the World Cup so don’t expect them to start complicating things at this point.
They’ll be knocked out by England because…
The English have shown that their explosive passages of play are a threat to any team in the world, just ask the Canadians about the first 15 minutes of the quarter final. If they can get into this kind of groove at some stage against the Japanese England will go a long way to making their first ever World Cup final appearance. Japan haven’t really been under sustained pressure at any stage in this tournament - such is their ability to control the tempo of the game - so England will need to attack the Japanese regularly to give themselves a chance. If they can do that, Japan might just crack.
Will they win the World Cup?
Yes. I’m putting it out there: Japan will win the World Cup. I, like many others following this team, have criticised them for lacking a certain spark but it’s clear the Japanese vision is to simply control the game so much that it strangles the life out of their opposition. It’s working extraordinarily well and the English won’t stand a chance against it. When they line up against the United States or Germany in the Final it’ll still be good enough. This is a better team than the one that sat on top of the world four years ago and none of the remaining squads are as comfortable with their games as Japan’s is.
Best moment of the tournament so far?
Mana Iwabuchi’s face after scoring the winner against Australia was a photographer’s dream. She wore a smile from ear to ear as she was mobbed by her hysterical team mates. Just moments earlier she had found herself in the right spot at the right time to tap in the easiest of goals in a scramble as the game trundled towards extra-time. From the moment the ball left her boot to when her teammates caught up to her and piled on it was easy to understand why ours is known as the beautiful game.
Key player
The smiling Iwabuchi was brilliant in the twenty minutes she played against Australia in the quarter-final. Her pace and quick feet were unmatched by the tired Australians and if Japan’s coach Norio Sasaki can resist the urge to start her and again bring her on late against the English, there’s no reason why she won’t have the same effect. Scoring the winner was an added bonus to go with the game-breaking lift she gave her side.
Injuries/Suspensions
Nothing new in either capacity.
Prediction
England will try and attack Japan early but the Japanese will absorb it with ease. Japan will then score two second-half goals and walk into the final full of confidence. Homare Sawa and Mana Iwabuchi to score in Japan’s 2-0 win.