The national at anthems rings around the stadium, as both teams look determined to look for a victory to boost their chances to qualify into knockout rounds. England look to qualify to the knock out round for the first time in 14 years.
The referee kari seitz sounds the whistle as the game begins.
Japan kick off. Here we go.
1min
England threatens early on by an aluko through ball towards carney who shoots at the keeper. The team looks up for the fight.2min – England look to utilise their pace available to them, with aluko and yankey. The nerves start to kick in. As England start to panic on the ball
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3min – Japan striker shoots whistles past the post after a deflection from an England defender
5 min – England play to feet and run in the space available. With aluko looking promising in positions.
9 mins – japan hit a fee kick right at goalkeeper as Japan look threatening from a fee kick. Japan try to threaten through midfielder Miyama who looks for the forwards with delightful long balls.
10 min. The game starts to settle however a loose ball is picked up by Kelly smith and japans defenders surround her, as they try to nullify England’s danger women.
14 mins. England give away needless free kicks away and give jap[an options to look for the opening goal as they look dangerous from free kick. However yankey and smith look lively as japan try to keep up wwith englands strength and pace. Smith solo effort just goes wide of the post.
18mins. Smith finds space in the middle and starts to dribble through the middle and the crowd respond. Finds aluko in space teases the defender but her shot is too weak and comfortable for fukomuto.
22 mins. Two great pieces of sublime football by both sides. Kelly smith laying deep in central midfield threads a ball through to Carney her ball is marginally offside and japan start to play brazzilian football through the midfield. The first booking of the games goes to England defender Katie Chapman after her tackles is deemed to strong on the Japanese forward.
26 min. Nayama finds herself too much room and moves towards the area. Her shot is over the bar luckily for England. England have to keep their concentration as they have been the better side.
30 min. Yankey again looks lively down the flanks. Turns the full back and drills in a shot low into the keeper who palms it away for a corner. From the resulting corner the balls falls to chapman whos shot is over the bar again. England are starting to use their height advantage over japan to good effect.
36 mins. Williams tries a long distance shot. It was never going in and should have looked for better options ahead of her. Smith trickery causes the full back to take her out. The resulting free kick from carney is whipped in with venom and the keeper looked worried by it.
37 min Aluko misses a glorious chance to put England ahead. The onrushing fukomuto comes way out of her area to meet aluko. Aluko does well to dummy her. With the whole goal to aim at inexplicably aluko manages to put it wide. Aluko is helped up but fans and players might regret that chance.
40 min. Japan are yet to attack as much as England. Their passing is laboured and lacks purpose. They try the long ball but with Faye Whites height it seems the wrong option. England need to start taking their chances against a quality side.
Half time report. England will feel they should be ahead after a great chance from Aluko. England have to come out from the break with same style with their pace and strength especially down the flanks from the first half but be more convincing in front of goal. Japan are very easy on the eye and switch balls from different flanks and look dangerous from set pieces but have been laboured in attack with most of the half’s chances going to England. It should be a better second half performace,
50 mins – A big chance for England as Williams sends in a cross which dramatically goes towards goal. The ball has spin on it but is palmed away from Fukumuto.
54 min – GOAL!!!! 1-0 Japan finally make good of their free kick after they go 1-0 ahead. 30 yards out from goal Niyama fires a free kick which bounces before the keeper who is unsighted and creeps into the bottom right corner. It ensures wild celebrations after from Niyama
60 mins. England nearly got one back in less than 5 minutes. Carney was put throught who tricked her marker into a dive sidestepped her and hit her shot again straight at the keeper. England need to bury these chances if they need to get back into the game
65 min. Cleared off the line by the japan keeper. Brown does well in the box and hits a great low cross across the box but no one is there. Aluko however picks it up and hits a great shot towards goal only for Fukumuto to palm it away again from danger.
70 min. Close again. Yankey heads wide from a great angle on goal. The cross from carney deserved the finish that was lacking
75 min – aluko goes off knowing she had the opportunity to put England ahead. Jill scott replaces her and looks to open up the japanease back line. Williams’s clever shot just goes wide of the post after great hold up play from Kelly Smith who is causing the japan team all sorts of problems.
80 mins. GOAL!! 1-1 One of the most talented womens footballers in the world finally shines on a world stage that she deserves. After brown burst through defence to midfield in a blink of an eye. The ball came to carney who thread it to Kelly smith who had her back to goal. But done a delightful turn that cruyff would be proud of and showed great strength to hold of the defender and put it in the back of the net 1-1
82 min GOAL!!! 1-2 She’s at it again. England shock japan to the core with two goal in two minutes from Kelly smith. Smith found space down the left flank and cut in and had a crack on goal. The shot rebounded in the path of her again and then hit a shot into the goal. Kelly smith kisses her boot and may just prove that she is good as some of her male counterparts.
88 MIN Scot comes off for Johnson. England need to keep it tight now to get a famous victory. One senses that Japan are looking threatening and England are starting to panic. Injuries start to take their toll as Brown and the keeper get back injuries and camp respectively.
90 min + Goal!!!!!! 2-2. Japan breaks englands heart with a last minute free kick. Japan had looked dangerous on the set piece and ultimately it was englands downfall. Miyama hit s great strike into the top left hand corner. Make no mistake it was a great strike and brown had no chance. England could not win a game that they so richly deserved.
Full time report
Two Kelly smith goals weren’t enough for England to grab what would have been a famous victory. Japan had looked dangerous throughout the game on the set pieces and England paid for it by two strikes from Niyama. The second goal was unstoppable but more could have been done from the first goal.
England had bossed the game and had a fair few of chances that England will look back regrettably on especially the Aluko chance. England had set up well for the game using their talent from their disposal to good effect with yankey and aluko using their pace and Smith all round abilty to create chances that could have been so sweet. Japan are a great side and are difficult to beat and they say a sign of a great team is to get results when your playing bad and that’s what they did.
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