Japan extended its winning streak in the World Cup to six matches with a narrow one-goal victory over Ecuador on Tuesday. The Nadeshiko will look to preserve their unbeaten run this coming Tuesday when they take on the Netherlands in a mouth-watering round-of-16 clash at BC Place Stadium.
Read on below for a complete preview of this blockbuster showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out the experts’ picks for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Defending champion Japan extended its 100% record at the Women’s World Cup, beating lowly Ecuador 1-0 in their final group match on Tuesday night. Yuki Ogimi scored the winning goal for the Japanese who became the first team to win all three of their group matches in this year’s event.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]That being said, the Japanese have looked far from convincing in their opening three games. They have won every game by just a single goal as they have been simply atrocious with their execution in the final third in this competition. In their last game against Ecuador, they battered the South American side with 20 shot attempts but only succeeded in finding the back of the net once.
Given that Ecuador lost its first two games by a combined score of 16-1, that 1-0 victory seems a bit disappointing for Japan. The onus is on team captain Aya Miyama to pick up the offensive cudgels for the squad. She has had a successful 2015 World Cup thus far, grabbing a goal and an assist in the group stages.
For Japan to grab the all-important victory against the Netherlands, it needs to control the possession game once again. The Japanese had 66% of the possession in their victory against Ecuador and that helped the Nadeshiko establish a whopping 20-3 edge in shot attempts and an 8-2 advantage in the shots on target department.
Defense will also play a key part in Japan’s quest to repeat as champions this year. The Japanese have allowed just eight shots on target and 36 shot attempts overall in this competition thus far.
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Betting on the Netherlands
Netherlands’ quest for a first World Cup title is still very much alive after eking out a heart-stopping 1-1 draw against Canada in their final group match on Monday. Substitute Kirsten van De Ven was the hero for the Dutch as she scored the dramatic equalizer in the 87th minute to give Netherlands the valuable point that earned them a place in the knockout stages.
Things are bound to get tougher, though, for the Oranje Leeuwinnen as they will next face the defending champions Japan in the round of 16. For the Dutch to grab a massive upset this coming Tuesday, they will need to bring the same commitment in midfield that they showed against the Canadians in their last group game. The Netherlands dominated possession in that match, controlling 54% of the ball against the host nation.
That being said, Netherlands’ progression to the last-eight will hinge on its ability to stop the Japanese attack. That starts with solid goalkeeping and Sari Veenendaal and Loes Gurts have proven to be excellent shot-stoppers for the Dutch in their short stint here in the World Cup. They have combined for 17 saves in Netherlands’ opening three matches.
The entire defense for that matter has been superb for the Dutch in this tournament, surrendering just two goals in this year’s World Cup. The Dutch back line has been resolute with their defending in this tournament, blocking a total of eight shots thus far.
Writer’s Prediction
Japan (-131) books a place in the quarterfinals with a convincing 2-0 win.
