A superb Aya Miyama free-kick got Japan’s World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over Group B rivals New Zealand in Bochum, Germany, on Monday.
Yuki Nagasato put the Japanese ahead after six minutes, with Amber Hearn quickly equalizing, only for Miyama to dash New Zealand’s hopes of a first ever point in their third women’s World Cup with a curling 68th-minute free-kick.
“Japan mesmerized us,” New Zealand coach John Herdman said. “Particularly in the last 20 minutes and the introduction of [Mana] Iwabuchi. Japan’s form is fantastic this year. I think this team could go on and be a major threat in this tournament. They were pretty close at the Olympics and I think they’ve learned from that experience.”
However, Japan coach Norio Sasaki believes there is room for improvement as his side were pushed hard by the 24th-ranked New Zealand Ferns.
“Today we got three points, but the girls did work hard and learned a lesson,” he said. “Rather than winning easy, today’s exercise should be beneficial for the girls in winning a difficult match.”
He paid tribute to Miyama, saying: “She has been one of the supporting pillars of our team and did well today.”
It was the second consecutive major tournament where the two sides had met in the opening match after the 2008 Olympics, where New Zealand held Japan 2-2.
Japan got off to a confident start, with Nagasato opening the scoring after just six minutes when she lobbed a Shinobu Ohno cross past Jenny Bindon in the New Zealand goal, but New Zealand kept pace with Hearn grabbing the equalizer after 12 minutes when she latched onto a Ria Percival corner to head past Ayumi Kaihori to the delight of the 12,000-plus crowd at the Ruhrstadion in Bochum.
Despite the Asians making most of the running, the Kiwi defense and Bindon proved solid as they held off wave after wave of attacks from Japan, who missed successive chances.
Japan pushed forward and should have scored their second goal in the 18th minute, but Mizuho Sakaguchi failed to finish off a Yukari Kinga cross, but it was a break from second-half substitute Iwabuchi which proved the key as the striker’s run was stopped on the edge of the box by a foul from New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith. Miyama stepped up and curled the resulting free-kick over the wall into the New Zealand net.
Iwabuchi missed a chance to double Japan’s advantage seven minutes from time when she fired into Bindon’s hands and Hearn missed a chance to grab a later equalizer when she hit a free-kick over the bar in stoppage-time.
“We were hoping that New Zealand could hold for a point, but it didn’t come,” said Herdman, who admitted they had difficulty dealing with the heat in temperatures of more than 30oC. “The heat was a major factor for our team today. It looked as if we slowed down toward the end, but I’m proud of the girls today, they showed typical Kiwi spirit and never gave up. Our luck’s not in today, but we’re ready for England and Mexico. I think we can have a good crack at the next match.”
Sasaki said: “Both teams had difficulties today, maybe once we get going the team will be able to improve and have better control.”
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