Former FIFA Women's World Cup winners Japan produced a scintillating display of free-flowing football at Waikato Stadium on July 22 as they put tournament debutants Zambia to the sword in style, "Nadeshiko" prevailing 5-0 in front of 16,111 fans who were enchanted by the quality of play which they witnessed. As is their way, Japan dominated possession and territory early doors, with Mina Tanaka blazing their first chance over the bar in the sixth minute after being played through by Aoba Fujino, who was central to their next attack sixty seconds later. Hinata Miyazawa sent Jun Endo scurrying down the left, from where she delivered a deep cross which Risa Shimizu touched inside for the unmarked Fujino to exploit. Her rising ten yard shot on the turn was tipped over the bar by Catherine Musonda, the first of numerous interventions by Zambia's goalkeeper in this encounter. Two minutes later, Rion Ishikawa pinged a ball over the top to play Tanaka in behind the defence. Her low cross zoomed across the six-yard box, just beyond the incoming figure of Fujino, who was denied by the post in the tenth minute as her swerving twenty-five yard drive left Musonda diving in vain. Japan's pressure had to tell, and after Musonda had kept out another shot from distance, this time from Tanaka, they finally put the ball in the net in the 21st minute. Endo delivered a free-kick from the right flank into the goalmouth, which Lushomo Mweemba met but failed to clear. The ball broke kindly for Tanaka, who promptly slammed it home, only to have her joyous celebrations cut short by the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee - the scorer was deemed to be in an offside position when the free-kick was taken. Unperturbed, Japan continued to pass the ball around with gay abandon, often leaving the "Copper Queens" chasing shadows. They couldn't get near Fujino in the 24th minute, her magnificent cross on the run from the dead-ball line beating Musonda and the far post also, with no one in blue on hand to turn the ball home. Zambia's overworked goalkeeper dashed out of goal to prevent Shimizu's pass from finding Tanaka soon after, while the striker skied a great chance from six yards on the half-hour after Endo had swept past two opponents and delivered quality to Tanaka's feet. From the resulting goal kick, Fujino sent Shimizu off down the right, from where she rewarded Tanaka's terrific off-the-ball movement with a delicious cross. Musonda anticipated it brilliantly, however, and the scoreless scoreline remained. Five minutes later, Liverpool midfield general Fuka Nagano teamed up with Miyazawa to send a measured pass into Fujino's stride. She controlled the ball neatly, but Mweemba blocked her shot. Japan's pursuit of the opening goal was thwarted once again six minutes before half-time, this time by a fabulous save from Musonda. Shimizu, Fujiino and Yui Hasegawa combined to set up Nagano, whose tantalising, deflected, chipped twenty-five yarder had "top corner" written all over it until the goalkeeper defied gravity yet again to keep the scores level. It was clearly going to require something special to break Zambia's resistance, and Japan came up with the antidote in the 43rd minute - a quite scrumptious goal! Shimizu and Hasegawa teamed up, the latter supplying a beautifully weighted pass which opened up the defence. Fujino latched onto it and delivered an inch-perfect cross into the stride of Miyazawa, who swept the ball home in imperious fashion - 1-0. Buoyed by the goal, "Nadeshiko" sought another before the half-time whistle. Moeka Minami sent Endo scurrying down the left, from where she slid a pass into the stride of the goalscorer. Miyazawa pulled it back for Tanaka, whose angled ball across the box found Shimizu sliding in on the far post. Alas for Japan, she skied it from close range. There was no respite for Zambia after the break, Rion Ishikawa lashing an angled shot over the bar just two minutes after play had resumed. Two

minutes later, Tanaka had a goal ruled out by the offside flag, while Japan were awarded a penalty in the 51st minute after Musonda had upended Fujino in the area as she looked to exploit Hasegawa's through ball. The spot kick was overturned, however, the Video Assistant Referee deeming that Fujino had been offside when the ball was played. The booking stood, however - about which, more later. Ten minutes after half-time, Japan doubled their lead. Nagano fed Hasegawa, who threaded the needle for the benefit of Endo. She slid a cross into the stride of Tanaka, who finally had the goal her efforts fully merited. Two minutes later, the miss of the match came to pass. Minami's ball over the top sent Fujino hurtling through the inside right channel, leaving her with just Musonda to beat to make it 3-0. Alas for the teenager, she had a rush of blood to the head, and fired her volley wildly over the bar. Japan made it 3-0 in the 62nd minute. Shimizu threw the ball in to Tanaka, whose cross at full stretch from the by-line flew beyond Musonda. Miyazawa was lurking with intent right behind her - tap-in. Six minutes later, Miyazawa spurned a great chance to complete her hat-trick, one made for her by the combined efforts of substitute Riko Ueki and Fujino. "Nadeshiko" had but three minutes to wait for a fourth goal, however, with Ishikawa, Shimizu, Ueki and Hasegawa all contributing to a move which Endo finished off in style nineteen minutes from time. The Asian giants continued to carve out opportunities seemingly at will at the expense of their African rivals, with Fujino heading the ball straight at Musonda before the youngster played in Ueki, who sent the ball soaring into the stratosphere with only the goalkeeper to beat. Twelve minutes from time, a brave goal-line clearance by Martha Tembo prevented Ueki from firing into an empty net after Musonda had failed to gather Hikaru Naomoto's pass to her fellow substitute. Ueki then executed a splendid header from a Naomoto cross in the 84th minute, but her effort flew just past the post, a miss to which Zambia responded with their first attack of the game. But Barbra Banda found herself crowded out by Japanese defenders as she looked to get on the end of Avell Chitundu's cross. Stoppage time saw plenty of action unfolding. Saki Kumagai headed clear to prevent Margaret Belemu from latching onto the opening created by Ochumba Lubandji, to which "Nadeshiko" responded with a raft of chances. Musonda grabbed Kiko Seike's curled attempt before looking on with relief as Remina Chiba steered a shot past the post, Hasegawa, Shimizu and Naomoto having combined to carve open Zambia's rearguard once more. Cue more drama, with Hasegawa playing Ueki into the penalty through the inside right channel. Musonda came charging out and took out the striker, earning herself a second booking - the earlier one still stood, despite VAR's intervention in the earlier incident, as it was still an infringement of the Laws of the Game punishable by a yellow card. Musonda was replaced in goal by Eunice Sakala, whose first task was to save a penalty from Ueki, a feat she achieved by tipping the spot kick onto the bar. VAR deemed she had moved before the kick was taken, however, and given a second chance, Ueki atoned with the last kick of the game, wrapping up a comprehensive 5-0 win for an impressively performed Japanese team. Zambia:     Musonda (booked, 51, 90 - sent off); Belemu, Musesa, Mweemba (Phiri, 82), Tembo; Katongo, S. Banda, Lungu (Lubandji, 72), Kundananji; Mapepa (Chitundu, 72 (Sakala, 90)), B. Banda Japan:          Yamashita; Ishikawa, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Hasegawa, Nagano, Miyazawa (Chiba, 90), Endo (Seike, 77); Fujino (Naomoto, 77), Tanaka (Ueki, 66) Referee:     Tess Olofsson (Sweden)