Japan has made it through to the knockout phase of the Women¡¯s World Cup with the minimum of fuss, but the reigning champions will have to move up a gear if they are serious about defending their title.
Japan began its campaign with a 1-0 win over Switzerland last Monday before beating Cameroon 2-1 four days later to clinch a place in the last 16 regardless of the outcome of Tuesday¡¯s final group game against Ecuador. Japan¡¯s craft and class was apparent in both matches, but there are still rough edges to smooth out before the tournament reaches a stage where opponents do not allow mistakes to go unpunished.
¡°The team deserves credit for winning two difficult games while dealing with the expectations of defending the title,¡± wrote former Nadeshiko defender Kyoko Yano in Sunday¡¯s Nikkan Sports. ¡°But the truth is that some aspects of their play are not going well. It¡¯s important to get to the root of the problem before the knockout round starts.
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