Japan beat Norway 3-1 to book their place in the quarter-finals at the Women's World Cup and will advance to play the winner of tomorrow's clash between Sweden and the United States in the quarter-finals.
2023 Women's World Cup
3-1
Match Report
Risa Shimizu and Hinata Miyazawa both scored to help Futoshi Ikeda's secure the win, in what was a captivating game of football.
Japan took the lead after 15 minutes, with Ingrid Engen tapping Miyazawa's cross into the back of her net.
Goalkeeper Aurora Watten Mikalsen scrambled to try and save the own goal, but her attempts were in vein, with the score being the first goal Hege Riise's side's have conceded at the Women's World Cup.
Norway equalised just five minutes later, with Aurora Watten Mikalsen sending a direct ball upfield to find Vilde Boe Risa on the right flank.
The Manchester United midfielder advanced forward before playing an excellent cross into the penalty area, which was met by Guro Reiten on the edge of the six-yard box, who rose high into the air and head the ball into the top-left corner of the goal.
Similarly, it was the first goal Japan had conceded at the tournament so far, but they continued to press on the Norwegian side.
And their attack was impressive but they lacked the clinical edge they showed during their epic 4-0 win against Spain last week.
They moved the ball well and pressed on their opposition, getting plenty of numbers inside the Norway penalty area and dominated for much of the first-half.
But as threatening as Japan were with the ball at their feet, they didn't have a shot on target in the first half.
Yui Hasegawa was a standout throughout, threading her way into the Norway penalty area on multiple occasions, while Miyazawa was equally impressive in attack.
Nothing could separate either side at the break, following what was an absorbing start to the match.
Japan continued to advance on the Norway goal after half-time and had their first shot on target in the 47th minute, with Hasegawa breaking through into the box to get a shot away at Mikalsen.
But Japan's strategy to flood the Norway penalty area paid off soon after.
After managing to weather the advances of Hasegawa, a lapse in concentration saw Boe Risa misplace a pass to the West Ham star, Shmizu, who pounced on the opportunity and put Japan ahead on the 50th minute.
It was a close range effort, with Egen just getting a touch on the shot, but she could not prevent the score, with the ball deflecting into the goal.
While they didn't show the same clinical edge they delivered in their 4-0 win against Span, Japan continued to attack in the second term and Norway were forced to dig in.
Riko Ueki cam on in the 71st minute and immediately made an impact, speeding down the right wing, and for a moment looked like she could add a third, but couldn't get enough power on her strike, which was comfrtably saved by Mikalsen.
Norway came narrowly close to an equaliser, with Karina Saevik getting lucky from a pass that deflected off a Japan defender, to put her clear inside the penalty area. But it was a tight angle and she couldn't hit the target, flashing her right-footed shot across the face of the goal.
Despite Norway's best efforts Miyazawa put the game beyond their reach, taking advantage of a superb pass from Aoba Fujino, that cut the opposition defence in two, to break free and slot her fifth goal of the tournament past Mikalsen.
Norway attacked late on the Japanese goal with Ayaka Yamashita being called upon to stop a last-gasp header from Saevik, sticking out her left arm to pull off a sensational save.
Japan were forced to work for the win despite holding the two-goal lead, but held on to their opposition's late advances to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Line-ups
Japan XI: S. Kumagai, M. Tanaka, A. Yamashita, Y. Hasegawa, R. Shimizu, M. Minami, H. Miyazawa, F. Nagano, Jun Endo, H. Takahashi, Aoba Fujino
Subs: H. Naomoto, Chika Hirao, S. Miyake, H. Sugita, R. Ueki, K. Seike, Hayashi Honoka, Momoko Tanaka , Remina Chiba, Rion Ishikawa, Maika Hamano, Miyabi Moriya
Norway XI: M. Mjelde, E. Haavi, C. Hansen, G. Reiten, V. Risa, A. Mikalsen, T. Hansen, I. Engen, S. Haug, Thea Bjelde, Mathilde Harviken
Subs: G. Pettersen, A. Sønstevold, A. Hegerberg, A. Eikeland, C. Fiskerstrand, K. Sævik, F. Leonhardsen Maanum, Julie Blakstad, Anna Jøsendal, Guro Bergsvand, Marit Bratberg Lund, Sara Hørte