Sweden ended the FIFA Women's World Cup hopes of the people's champions, Japan, at Eden Park on 11 August, prevailing 2-1 in a gripping quarter-final which took the record-equalling 43217-strong crowd on an emotional rollercoaster ride before Swiss referee Esther Staubli's final whistle prompted Swedish smiles and Japanese tears, with Abba playing in the background. "Nadeshiko" offered the first threat on goal in the match, Amanda Ilestedt's superbly timed tackle thwarting Mina Tanaka as she was poised to pull the trigger. Sweden responded to this threat by repeatedly probing Japan's left flank, with Moeka Minami's tackle preventing Johanna Kaneryd from fully exposing it in the thirteenth minute. It was down Sweden's left where Japan attacked in the seventeenth minute, Risa Shimizu, Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino combining well. Their efforts were partially thwarted, but when Tanaka joined the move and combined with Fujino, a cross targeting Hinata Miyazawa was the outcome. Ilestedt - another fine game - intervened in timely fashion, much to "Blagult"'s relief. Sweden spurned a great chance to open the scoring in the 25th minute. Nathalie Bjorn's early ball forward through the inside right channel allowed Stina Blackstenius to get the better of Saki Kumagai, only to thrash her volley past the near post. Japan retorted three minutes later, Fujino and Shimizu combining on the right, with the wing-back getting to the by-line before firing in a cross which arced just over the head of Hasegawa. Miyazawa was following in behind, but was unable to direct her effort on target. The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute. Kosovare Asllani's free-kick was punched out by Ayaka Yamashita to Bjorn, whose shot was blocked by Fuka Nagano. The ball rebounded to Magdalena Eriksson, who twice tried to hit the target, only to see Kumagai and Hana Takahashi block her shots. This time, the ball ricocheted to Ilestedt, who hooked it home from six yards for her fourth goal of the tournament - not bad going for a central defender! The goal rocked Japan, and Sweden looked to make hay while the sun shone. Five minutes after opening the scoring, Elin Rubensson pinged one over the top for Kaneryd to latch onto, but she got it all wrong in the area and fired well wide of the target. Unlike Filippa Angeldal sixty seconds later, her twenty-five yarder stinging the gloves of Yamashita, who pulled off a superb save three minutes before half-time to keep her team in contention. Kaneryd won the ball in midfield and surged forward before bringing Fridolina Rolfo into play. Her first-time pass found Asllani marauding through the inside right channel, and from fifteen yards she thrashed a firecracker at the target which Yamashita, at full stretch diving to her left, tipped onto the inside of the post, the ball rebounding across the face of goal to safety. Yamashita was to the fore again before the half-time whistle, keeping out a twenty-yarder from Angeldal after Blackstenius had held the ball up well in attack despite constant pressure from Kumagai. Sweden continued to press in the early stages of the second spell, Yamashita tipping a swerving shot from Kaneryd round the post after Ilestedt and Rubensson had combined to create the opening two minute after play had resumed. The resulting corner from Jonna Andersson arced into the goalmouth and, unseen by the naked eye but with the benefit of technology, struck the outstretched arm of the completely unsighted figure of Nagano - with players leaping to head the ball in front of her, she had no idea where the ball was until it struck her arm. Sweden appealed for a penalty, but play continued briefly until the ball went out for a throw-in, at which point referee Staubli indicated that the Video Assistant Referee had a contribution to make to proceedings … Nagano's misfortune was Sweden's to exploit, and Angeldal sent Yamashita the wrong way from twelve yards - 2-0 after 51 minutes. Japan had to score next if they harboured hopes of turning things around, and soon at that. Over the next ten minutes they asked questions of their opponents, but Sweden answered everything in resolute fashion. With thirty minutes left, it looked very much like this would be another case of a good big 'un overcoming a great little 'un, because "Nadeshiko"

has been a fabulous team to watch at this tournament, and have become the people's champions with their terrific brand of incisive, free-flowing, joy-filled football. But there was still hope, and in the 63rd minute, Nagano released substitute Jun Endo down the left, from where she delivered a hanging cross to the far post. Fujino lined it up but volleyed her effort into the ground, the ball bouncing up and landing on the roof of the net. Five minutes later, Minami switched play to Shimizu, who played it forward to Fujino. She evaded a challenge before seeing her pass inside blocked, the rebound falling to Hasegawa. She lashed a volley over the bar - you got the feeling that one had to go in if Japan were to have any chance of turning this around. Seconds later, Riko Ueki went down under the challenge of Ilestedt on the edge of the area. Referee Staubli said nothing doing, but Japan weren't taking no for an answer - this was man the barricades time for the Swedes, as "Nadeshiko", willed on by a crowd in great voice, threw everything at them in their quest to reduce the deficit. Ilestedt's vital intervention prevented Hasegawa and Shimizu combining for Fujino's benefit twenty minutes from time, while seconds later, Miyazawa and Nagano teamed up to invite Fujino to unleash a shot on the turn. The hitherto untested Zecira Musovic plunged to her left to divert the effort round the post. Still they pressed, Endo picking out Miyazawa, who laid the ball into the stride of Hasegawa. Her shot was blocked by a wall of defenders, but when Ueki set off on a driving run into the penalty area in the 74th minute, her heels were clipped by Swedish substitute Madelen Janogy. Referee Staubli had no hesitation - penalty, from which Japan simply had to score. Up stepped Ueki, whose spot kick slammed against the underside of the crossbar and crashed down back into the field of play - 2-0 still. That miss took the wind from Japan's sails, and Sweden looked to be home and dry - they certainly would have been had Lina Hurtig's flying header not sailed over the bar eight minutes from time. But "Nadeshiko" came again, only for ill luck to strike them in the cruellest fashion in the 86th minute. Fujino let rip with a twenty-five yard free-kick which hit the bar, rebounded down onto the head of the diving figure of Musovic, then ricocheted onto the post before bouncing on the line and across goal to safety. Any other day of the week, that goes in off the 'keeper for an "oggie", and Japan have renewed hope. But on this of all days … The close call reinvigorated the Asian team, and in the 87th minute, they finally gained due reward for their efforts. Hasegawa played the ball wide to Endo, who brought fellow substitute Kiko Seike into play. She played the ball into the danger zone, only for Eriksson to block it. But the rebound sat up perfectly for the incoming figure of Honoka Hayashi, who fair hammered the ball into the bottom corner of the net to set up a grandstand finish, especially with ten minutes of stoppage time to be played. It was backs-to-the-wall time for Sweden, as Japan threw the kitchen sink and anything else they could lay their hands on at their European rivals in an effort to draw level and force extra time. A Fujino corner picked out Ueki, whose volley was parried by Musovic. Sweden scrambled the ball to safety, but Japan came again, Ueki this time inviting Seike to shoot, an effort which was pulled past the far post. They kept pounding away, but Swedish resistance and resolve proved too great an obstacle to overcome for "Nadeshiko", and when the final whistle sounded, their World Cup dreams were over, while those of Sweden, third place-getters four years ago, remain very much alive. Japan:          Yamashita; Takahashi (Hamano, 90), Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Nagano (Hayashi, 80), Hasegawa, Sugita (Endo, 46); Fujino, Tanaka (Ueki, 52 (booked, 79)), Miyazawa (Seite, 80) Sweden:     Musovic; Bjorn, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldal, Asllani (Janogy, 73), Rubensson (Bennison, 84); Kaneryd (Jakobsson, 84), Blackstenius, Rolfo (Hurtig, 73) Referee:     Esther Staubli (Switzerland)