Japan trounces Spain to top Group C

Spain’s Salma Paralluelo, left, and Japan’s Jun Endo vie for the ball

Japan 4, Spain 0

Japan scored three times from lightning breaks in the first half, once in the second and defended resolutely to trounce Spain 4-0 yesterday and top Group C at the Women’s World Cup.

Hinata Miyazawa scored twice, Riko Ueki scored once and both were instrumental in each other’s goals as Japan switched swiftly from defense to counter-attack and scored from its only three attempts on goal before halftime.

Mina Tanaka came off the bench to score the last in the 82nd minute as Japan, with only 22% of possession, turned on a counter-attacking master class in front of 21,000 fans.

“While the other side had the ball, in that duel and once we recovered the ball we tried to have maximum speed,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said. “I think we were quite effective.”

Both teams had already clinched places in the round of 16, Japan for the fourth World Cup in succession and Spain for the second. Both had beaten Zambia 5-0 and Spain had the better goal differential after both teams beat Costa Rica. A draw would have been enough to see Spain finish atop a group for the first time in its history.

But Spain has struggled against Asian teams in World Cup matches, losing to South Korea in 2015 and drawing with China in 2019. The loss yesterday was its first against Japan and its heaviest in 11 years.

Japan now will play Group A runner-up Norway on Saturday in the round of 16 and Spain will play Group A winner Switzerland.

Spain coach Jorge Vilda admitted his team’s failings were not only in defense but also on attack — it had to wait almost to the end of the first half for its first corner.

“We have not seen the best of the Spain team and I’m sure against Switzerland we will react positively,” he said. “The team is together and in a few days we have to play a round of 16 game.”

Japan played with a strong and cold wind at its back in the first half and that added carry to long balls forward which helped catch the Spain defense in retreat.

Spain had an overwhelming majority of possession in the half; by the 25-minute mark it had enjoyed 68% and had more than 230 completed passes to Japan’s 43. But it was timid, reluctant to go forward and played mostly around the middle of the field, keeping the ball on the ground in the face of the wind . STEVE McMORRAN, WELLINGTON, MDT/AP