Japan join Spain in Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after deserved win against Norway

Japan have joined Spain in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup after a deserved win against Norway.

Spain book their place in the last eight

Spain booked their place in the last-eight with a simple victory against Switzerland earlier in the day. Aitana Bonmati put Spain ahead in the first half but Laia Codina scored a humiliating own goal when she played a blind pack pass to her own goalkeeper, only to see the ball find the back of her net.

But Spain responded well by restoring their lead through Alba Redondo and Bonmati grabbed her second to put them 3-1 up. Codina made amends for her own goal by grabbing Spain’s fourth before half-time, while Jennifer Hermoso got her third goal of the tournament to round off the 5-1 win.

Japan take a deserved lead

It’s the first time Spain have reached the quarter-finals of the competition and they’ll be joined by Japan. The Japanese took a deserved lead against a defensive-minded Norway when Ingrid Engen scored an own goal after a mix-up at the back.

Norway scored a fantastic equaliser just five minutes later when Guro Reiten rose highest and thumped a sensational header into the back of the net.

Japan seal their spot in the last eight

But the Norwegians showed a lack of ambition, playing in a 5-4-1 shape and giving up possession to the Japanese. Though that worked well in the first half, the Japanese started to find space as they game wore on and West Ham’s Risa Shimizu found the net after the restart following some charitable defending.

Norway had no option but to open up in search of an equaliser and that left space for the Japanese. The win was sealed ten minutes from time when Hinata Miyazawa finished off a sublime counter-attack to book her side’s spot in the last eight.

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