Holland v Japan

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Holland v Japan

Late Martens Penalty Sees Holland Oust Japan

by Jeremy Ruane

A late penalty from Dutch star Lieke Martens clinched a 2-1 victory for her country over Japan in a FIFA Women's World Cup clash of great technical quality at Roazhon Park in Rennes on June 25, with 21,076 fans treated to a terrific encounter between the reigning champions of Asia and Europe.

Holland were first to press in this match, but Japan weren't flustered, the sight of Ayaka Yamashita calmly playing a pass from inside her goal area, with Danielle Van de Donk bearing down on her at a great rate of knots, ample evidence of their supreme confidence in their ability to pass their way out of trouble.

But it was an intercepted pass two minutes later which presented "Nadeshiko" with a big problem in the fifth minute. Van de Donk pounced on the ball and sent Martens down the left, from where she delivered a gem of a cross on the run to the far post.

Racing in to meet it was Vivianne Miedema, who met the ball on the volley. Her shot ricocheted off Nana Ichise and hit the outside of the post - a real let-off for Japan, who came under further pressure five minutes later.

Again, Martens was the outlet to which the Dutch turned, Merel Van Dongen releasing her down the left before another cross curled tantalisingly into the area both Miedema and Shanice Van de Sanden were attacking. Ichise was in the right place at the right time to head the ball to safety.

Holland unleashed a super move in the sixteenth minute which saw at least a dozen passes zipping round the park before a Van de Donk shot ricocheted off Ichise for a corner.

The diminutive playmaker whipped the corner in to the near post, where Martens' speed of thought and movement caught Japan napping - a crucial mistake. For the former FIFA Women's World Player of the Year deftly flicked the ball through the legs of Yuika Sugasawa and across Yamashita into the net by the base of the far post.

Japan instantly set out looking to cancel out Holland's lead. Mana Iwabuchi and Narumi Miura combined to set up a chance for Sugasawa in the nineteenth minute, the striker's shot crashing off Sari Van Veenendaal's left-hand post to safety.

But "Nadeshiko" generally struggled to get into the game, Holland's defensive effort thwarting many of their opponents' attacking thrusts, and allowing the Dutch to utilise their pacy forward line to keep Japan in check.

Yamashita's anticipation to counteract these threats was excellent, the pick of her interventions coming when she dashed out of her area to prevent Van de Sanden from latching onto an Ichise ball forward in the 27th minute, repeating the dose two minutes before half-time when Martens looked to play in the speedster.

Nine minutes before half-time, Iwabuchi and Hina Sugita teamed up with the overlapping Risa Shimizu, who cut inside before looking to set up Iwabuchi for a shot. Dominique Bloodworth diverted the ball to safety on this occasion, and was on hand to cut out an Aya Sameshima ball in the 42nd minute which the fullback had intended for Sugasawa's benefit.

In between these attacks, Holland mustered one which had Martens at its heart. Controlling Desiree Van Lunteren's ball neatly, she set up Miedema for a twenty yarder, but Japanese captain Saki Kumagai had other ideas.

So did her team-mates, who contrived a beautiful equaliser two minutes before half-time. Iwabuchi spread play wide to Sugita, who cut inside before linking with Sugasawa.

She laid the ball back to Iwabuchi, who deftly side-stepped a challenge before slipping an inch-perfect pass into the stride of Yui Hasegawa. She had timed her run to beat the offside trap to perfection, and her finish, high beyond the approaching figure of Van Veenendaal, was sumptuous - 1-1.

Instantly, the Dutch looked to re-establish their lead, Yamashita denying Miedema after the striker had latched onto Van de Sanden's pass. "Nadeshiko" responded with the final raid of the half, but Shimizu's pass, intended for Sugasawa, was cut out by Bloodworth, who had a terrific game at the heart of Holland's rearguard.

The second spell was just three minutes old when Sherida Spitse's thirty yard free-kick was turned away well by Yamashita, who was again confidence personified under pressure three minutes later when

playing the ball out of her goal area, despite opposition in close attendance.

Japan began to build up a head of steam, with Iwabuchi in particular a prominent figure, particularly in a 63rd minute move which resulted in Van Veenendaal pulling off a fine save to deny Emi Nakajima's curling effort.

Seven minutes later, Hasegawa's cross was flicked on by Sugasawa to Iwabuchi, who drew the defence before deftly rolling the ball into the stride of Hasegawa. Her shot flashed through the legs of Stefanie Van der Gragt and just past the far post - it was desperately close!

Still "Nadeshiko" kept on coming. Bloodworth conceded possession to young substitute Yuka Momiki, whose through ball found Iwabuchi darting through the inside right channel. She swept past a defender before battering the side-netting with her shot.

Three minutes later, Sugita worked a one-two with Iwabuchi before battering the crossbar with a fiercely struck drive, soon after which the maestro was on the charge once more, Iwabuchi weaving her way through traffic before picking out Hagesawa on the left.

She evaded a challenge before looking to pick out Sugasawa with a cross. Van der Gragt intervened, but only succeeded in clearing the ball to Momiki, who side-stepped a challenge before unleashing a fifteen yard drive which Van Veenendaal saved superbly, flinging herself to her left to turn the ball away.

Holland were hanging on at this stage, so relentless were Japan's attacks. The 2015 runners-up came again eight minutes from time, Hasegawa leading the charge on the left before delivering an early cross to the highly talented Momiki. She touched the ball into the stride of Miura, who thrashed a rising drive over the bar from fifteen yards.

The Dutch looked to break up Japan's momentum via a couple of substitutions over the next few minutes, and the tactic worked, for in the 88th minute, Spitse and Martens combined with newcomer Jill Roord to spread play wide to another substitute, Lineth Beerensteyn.

She worked a one-two with Van Lunteren before beating an opponent and inviting Miedema to let fly from the edge of the penalty area. Her shot struck Kumagai and ricocheted to safety, but Honduras referee Melissa Borjas instantly pointed to the penalty spot, the ball having struck the arm of Japan's captain, even though she had been two yards in front of Miedema thus had next to no reaction time available to her.

The Video Assistant Referee confirmed the official's decision, and all the pressure of Holland's Women's World Cup hopes were borne on the shoulders of Martens, who took on the responsibility of beating Yamashita from twelve yards.

Big games invariably see big players rise to the challenge, and the Dutch winger proved herself up to the task, sending Japan's goalkeeper the wrong way to ignite celebrations galore among the Holland squad and their exuberant supporters.

There was still time for Japan to mount a late bid for another equaliser, with Sugita's goalbound shot being blocked by Spitse, prompting a goalmouth scramble in which Van de Gragt thwarted subsequent "Nadeshiko" attempts to score.

When the final whistle sounded, there were tears aplenty from Japan, whose display wasn't one which one associates with a beaten team - they were tremendous, and had they taken their chances, it would have been the end of Holland's hopes at France 2019.

But it's Martens and her comrades who advance to the quarter-finals and a clash with Italy, with the prize of a place at the Olympic Women's Football Tournament in Japan an additional incentive for all seven European nations still competing for the FIFA Women's World Cup - there are three spots up for grabs, and this competition will determine UEFA's contenders at Tokyo 2020.

Holland: Van Veenendaal; Van Lunteren, Van der Gragt, Bloodworth, Van Dongen (Van Es, 85); Groenen, Van de Donk (Roord, 87), Spitse; Van de Sanden (Beerensteyn, 68), Miedema, Martens

Japan: Yamashita; Shimizu, Kumagai (booked, 90), Ichise, Sameshima; Nakajima (Momiki, 72), Miura, Sugita, Hasegawa; Iwabuchi (Takarada, 90), Sugasawa

Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)

Knockout Matches