Soccer World Cup 2019 / Japan

Football Women's World Cup 2019 : Japan
Trainer	Asako Takakura
captain	Saki Kumagai
Qualified as	Winner of the 2018 Asian Cup
Tournament result	Round of 16
Games won	1
Games tie	1
Games lost	2
Gates	3: 5

This article covers the Japan women's national soccer team at the 2019 women's soccer world cup in France . Japan took part in the finals for the eighth time, making it the only Asian team to have qualified for all World Cup finals.

qualification

As before, the Asian Cup , which was held in Jordan in 2018, served as qualification for the World Cup finals for the Asian teams . As the champions of the previous event, Japan was automatically qualified.

For the championship nominated national coach Asako Takakura , who had taken office in April 2016, after Japan failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, 23 players, including only eight players who have the squad had heard for the World Cup, 2015.

The Japanese team won their first game against Vietnam 4-0 and only had a goalless draw against South Korea in their second game . This was followed by a 1-1 draw in the last game against Australia . Since Australia had also played 0-0 against South Korea, but scored more goals against Vietnam, Japan finished second in the group. They also benefited from the fact that, in direct comparison with South Korea, they had scored one more goal in the games against Australia and South Korea and were able to relegate South Korea to third place. The Japanese were in the semi-finals and qualified for the World Cup finals. Opponents in the semifinals were China . Mana Iwabuchi put her team in the lead in the 39th minute. More goals were only scored in the closing stages. First, Kumi Yokoyama , who came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, increased to 3-0 in the 85th and 88th minute, and the Chinese scored a goal in the 90th minute.

In the final there was a new edition of the final of 2014 against Australia and, like four years earlier, the East Asians won 1-0, with Elise Kellond-Knight unable to convert a penalty to the Australian lead in the 14th minute. Kumi Yokoyama scored the winning goal in the 84th minute after being substituted on in the 72nd minute.

20 players were used in the tournament, but only captain Saki Kumagai played all five games. Ten players came to four missions.

The Japanese players scored a total of nine goals. Most goals were scored by Kumi Yokoyama (4), who, along with two Chinese and one Thai, was the tournament's second-best goalscorer. A total of five Japanese players scored in the tournament. With a total of nine goals and 1.8 goals per game, the Japanese team scored the fewest goals of the qualified teams in absolute and relative terms. However, like the Australians, who only scored two more goals, Japan had to face four teams that had also qualified for the World Cup.

Group games

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Australia	3	1	2	0	009: 100	+8	05
2.	Japan	3	1	2	0	005: 100	+4	05
3.	South Korea	3	1	2	0	004-000	+4	05
4th	Vietnam	3	0	0	3	000:160	−16	00

7th April 2018, King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman
Japan	-	Vietnam	4: 0 (2: 0)	Yokoyama, Iwabuchi , Nakajima , Tanaka
April 10th 2018, Amman International Stadium in Amman
South Korea	-	Japan	0-0
April 13th 2018, Amman International Stadium in Amman
Australia	-	Japan	1: 1 (0: 0)	Sakaguchi

Semifinals

17th April 2018

China

-

Japan

1: 3 (0: 1)

Yokoyama (2), Iwabuchi ; Li Ying

final

April 20, 2018

Amman

Japan

-

Australia

1: 0 (1: 0)

Yokoyama

preparation

In June 2018 the Japanese won 3-1 against New Zealand in Wellington . At the end of July / beginning of August 2018, as in the previous year, the Japanese took part in the Tournament of Nations in the USA, where they won the last after three defeats against Brazil (1: 2), Australia (0: 2) and the USA (2: 4) Occupied place. Things went better at the Asian Games soccer tournament from mid to late August, where the Japanese won against Thailand (2: 0), Vietnam (7: 0), North Korea (2: 1), South Korea (2: 1 in the semifinals) and China (1-0 in the final) won the gold medal. At the end of the international season, Norway made a guest appearance in Japan and was defeated 4-1. At the end of February / beginning of March 2019, the Japanese took part in the SheBelieves Cup for the first time.After a win (3: 1 against Brazil), a draw (2: 2 against hosts USA) and a defeat (0: 3 against tournament winners England ), they finished third occupied. On April 4, the Japanese lost 3-1 to World Cup hosts France in Auxerre, and on April 9th ​​they beat Germany 2-2 in Paderborn . On June 2, the Japanese played in Le Touquet ( France ) against World Cup participants Spain (1-1).

Squad

The squad was named on May 10th. Riko Ueki was replaced by Saori Takarada on May 31, due to an injury .

No.	Player	birth date	debut	society	Country games	Country goals	Last use	World Cup games, goals	World Cup 2019
									Sp.
goal
21st	Chika Hirao	December 31, 1996	2018	Albirex Niigata Ladies	002	00	04/09/2019
1	Sakiko Ikeda	09/08/1992	2017	Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies	014th	00	08/16/2018
18th	Ayaka Yamashita	09/29/1995	2015	NTV Beleza	027	00	06/02/2019		4th
Defense
5	Nana Ichise	08/04/1997	2017	Vegalta Sendai Ladies	016	00	06/02/2019		3
4th	Saki Kumagai	10/17/1990	2008	Olympique Lyon	104	00	06/02/2019	12 (2011, 2015)	4th
12	Moeka Minami *	07/12/1998	2019	Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies	005	00	06/02/2019		1
16	Asato Miyagawa *	02/24/1998	2019	NTV Beleza	005	00	06/02/2019
23	Shiori Miyake	10/13/1995	2013/14	INAC Kobe Leonessa	018th	00	06/02/2019
3	Aya Sameshima	06/16/1987	2008	INAC Kobe Leonessa	109	05	06/02/2019	12 (2011, 2105)	4th		1
22nd	Risa Shimizu	06/15/1996	2018	NTV Beleza	024	00	06/02/2019		4th		1
2	Rumi Utsugi	December 05, 1988	2005	Reign FC	113	06th	06/02/2019	11 (2007, 2011, 2015)
midfield
14th	Yui Hasegawa	01/29/1997	2017	NTV Beleza	036	06th	06/02/2019		3	1
17th	Narumi Miura	07/03/1997	2018	NTV Beleza	009	00	06/02/2019		4th
15th	Yūka Momiki	04/09/1996	2017	NTV Beleza	025th	07th	06/02/2019		1
7th	Emi Nakajima	09/27/1990	2011	INAC Kobe Leonessa	070	14th	06/02/2019		4th
10	Mizuho Sakaguchi	10/15/1987	2006	NTV Beleza	125	29	April 20, 2018	12.1 (2007, 2011, 2015)
6th	Hina Sugita	01/31/1997	2018	INAC Kobe Leonessa	007th	00	06/02/2019		4th		1
attack
19th	Jun Endo *	04/25/2000	2019	NTV Beleza	005	00	06/02/2019		3
8th	Mana Iwabuchi	03/18/1993	2010	INAC Kobe Leonessa	061	20th	11/11/2018	10.1 (2011, 2015)	4th	1	1
11	Rikako Kobayashi	07/21/1997	2019	NTV Beleza	005	01	04/09/2019		2
9	Yuika Sugasawa	05.10.1990	2010	Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies	063	18th	06/02/2019	4.1 (2015)	4th	1
13	Saori Takarada *	12/27/1999	2019	Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies	000	00			3
20th	Kumi Yokoyama	08/13/1993	2015	AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies	041	17th	06/02/2019		2

1. ↑ Players marked with "*" became U-20 world champions in 2018
2. ↑ As of May 2019
3. ↑ ^{a b} Status: June 2, 2019

draw

Nice (VR) Paris (VR) Rennes (VR / AF)

Venues for the Japanese team

For the World Cup group draw that took place on December 8, 2018, Japan was only allocated Pot 2 due to its placement in the FIFA world rankings of December 7, 2018. The team could meet world champions USA, Germany or host France. Due to the mode, she could not face any of the four other teams of the Asian Association. Japan was drawn in Group D with England, Argentina and newcomer Scotland.

There have been four games against England so far with one win, two draws and one defeat. The first game was in the preliminary round of the 2007 World Cup and ended 2-2. In 2011 they lost 2-0 in the preliminary round, but then became world champions, while England were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In a friendly in June 2013, they parted 1: 1 in England. In the semifinals of the last World Cup, there was then the first win with 2-1, favored by an own goal by an English player in stoppage time.

Against Argentina, the record is flawless with four wins, including a 6-0 in the 2003 World Cup preliminary round (highest win of an Asian against a South American team) and a 1-0 in the preliminary round of the World Cup in 2007. There have only been two against Scotland so far Friendlies, both in neutral, won 4-0 and 2-0 in 2006 and 2007.

Group games

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	England	3	3	0	0	005: 100	+4	09
2.	Japan	3	1	1	1	002: 300	−1	04th
3.	Argentina	3	0	2	1	003: 400	−1	02
4th	Scotland	3	0	1	2	005: 700	−2	01

Mon., June 10, 2019 in Paris
Argentina	-	Japan	0-0
Friday, June 14, 2019 in Rennes
Japan	-	Scotland	2: 1 (2: 0)
Wed., June 19, 2019 in Nice
Japan	-	England	0: 2 (0: 1)

Knockout round

As group runners-up, the Japanese meet European champions Netherlands, group winners of Group E, in the round of 16. Both met in the round of 16 in 2015, where Japan won 2-1. Then there were three defeats and one win against the Dutch women. In the last game at the Algarve Cup 2018 , Japan lost 6-2. The Japanese lost this time with 1: 2 and were eliminated as the last Asian team.

Tue., June 25, 2019 at 9:00 p.m. (CEST) in Rennes
Netherlands	-	Japan	2: 1 (1: 1)

Awards

• Mana Iwabuchi : Player of the game against Scotland

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) squad, schedule - MS＆AD Cup 2018 (4/1 @ Nagasaki), AFC Women's Asian Cup Jordan 2018 (4 / 6-20 @ Jordan)
2. ↑ jfa.jp: Nadeshiko Japan to face Spain Women's National Team in an International Friendly Match
3. ↑ jfa.jp: Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) Squad, Schedule - FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019
4. ↑ fifa.com: Pot allocation for World Cup draw according to the latest world rankings