AUCKLAND. At the start of the quarter-finals at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the focus today (9.30 a.m./live on ORF 1) is on the encounter between Japan and title aspirant Sweden. The game, in which the role of favorites actually seems to be clearly distributed, could still cause a surprise. While Japan has always failed to live up to expectations in previous international tournaments, the Asians started the World Cup in impressive form this time. Three victories in the group stage ensured a comfortable run through to the round of 16, where Japan threw Norway out of the tournament with a 3-1 win. Before the match against Sweden, the Japanese are optimistic despite the well-known opponent. “When you get to this stage you are a tough opponent for any team,” said captain Saki Kumagai. Midfielder Fridolina Rolfö emphasizes that the Swedes don’t underestimate Japan: “They’ve been one of the best teams in the tournament so far. We need a good match plan to win.” Sweden had previously managed to reach the quarter-finals in a highly dramatic manner after beating reigning world champions USA on penalties.
The remaining quarter-finals will follow on Saturday with Australia-France and England-Colombia. Spain vs. Netherlands took place overnight (kick-off: 3 a.m. CEST).
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