FIFA Women's World Cup: Sweden defeats Japan 2-1, set to face Spain in semi-finals
livemint.comAssociated Press. Despite Japan's impressive performance prior to this match, having scored 14 goals and maintaining a flawless 4-0 record, they struggled to keep up with Sweden, who held a 2-0 lead late into the second half.
Japan orchestrated a belated resurgence, mounting considerable pressure on the Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. During the 76th minute, Riko Ueki of Japan aimed a penalty kick, which unfortunately struck the crossbar and deflected away from the goal, leaving Musovic unscathed.
However, in the 86th minute, Musovic's unyielding defense was finally breached, as substitute player Honoka Hayashi managed to narrow Sweden's lead to 2-1, signaling a late resurgence for the Japanese team. The Swedish national team, who were the runners-up in the 2003 World Cup and have secured third place three times, managed to eliminate the previously undefeated Japanese team with a score of 2-1.
Read more on livemint.com
