Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Vancouver: Aya Miyama's first half penalty helped Japan begin their FIFA Women's World Cup title defence with a 1-0 win over Switzerland on Monday (local time) as Homare Sawa made history by becoming the first footballer to appear at six FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Sawa, winner of the Golden Shoe (top scorer) and Golden Boot (best player) as the Nadeshiko won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, played for 57 minutes of the Group C encounter at the BC Place Stadium to achieve the six-tournament milestone ahead of six other players but she will have to share the record with Brazil’s Formiga, should the 37-year-old feature in the Canarinhas’ Group E fixture against Korea Republic in Montreal
While, Sawa was making her mark in the annals of FIFA World Cup history it was her fellow two-time AFC Women’s Player of the Year, Miyama, that was making her mark against the Swiss, with the Japan skipper opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 29th minute.
Japan had just about shaded the opening exchanges in terms of goal-scoring threat and took the lead just before the half-hour mark when she confidently dispatched her spot-kick past Gaelle Thalmann, after the MSV Duisburg keeper had fouled Kouze Ando, who, like Thalmann, also plays her club football in the German Bundesliga with the Japan midfielder on the books of FFC Frankfurt.
The Swiss, who are 15 places lower than the World Cup holders on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, give a sterling account of themselves with the impressive Ramona Bachmann a particular thorn in the side of the Japanese defence but it was the Asian champions who had the best chance of adding to the score line with first-half substitute Yuika Sugasawa – a 32nd minute replacement for Ando – hit the post midway through the second half.
“We expected to be put under immense pressure at the start of the match and although we have the team and style needed for controlled play, we struggled to implement our game plan,” admitted Japan head coach Norio Sasaki, who saw plenty of room for improvement for the World Cup holders.
“We can keep the ball well, and I told my players that they should let it run for as long as possible, but their play was too direct. That’s something I still want to correct.”
Japan will be looking to build on their hard-earned victory over the Swiss on Friday when they face a Cameroon side that opened their Group C campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of Ecuador.
Photo: FIFA/Getty Images