Yeah super disappointing- Sweden did a much better job at being disruptive early than Norway or Spain did and it seemed like it threw Japan off just a tad....a lot more misplaced passes and misjudged angles than we’ve seen before in the first half.
But in the end....really poor defending and bad luck on the set piece and handball in addit…
Yeah super disappointing- Sweden did a much better job at being disruptive early than Norway or Spain did and it seemed like it threw Japan off just a tad....a lot more misplaced passes and misjudged angles than we’ve seen before in the first half.
But in the end....really poor defending and bad luck on the set piece and handball in addition to a missed PK are surefire ways to lose an elimination game. The reasons they might have lost -- height disadvantage and counterattacking vulnerability-- didn't even really factor in aside from the Blackstenius chance in the first half.
But Sweden got nothing from that or from being stronger/heavier, really. One poacher's goal (that Japan could have cleared faster), one fluky, pure bad luck handball. If Japan had had any kind of luck at the end, it would have gone into extra time, and the Nadeshiko seemed to have at last found the answers. I'm still just gutted...
Yeah super disappointing- Sweden did a much better job at being disruptive early than Norway or Spain did and it seemed like it threw Japan off just a tad....a lot more misplaced passes and misjudged angles than we’ve seen before in the first half.
But in the end....really poor defending and bad luck on the set piece and handball in addition to a missed PK are surefire ways to lose an elimination game. The reasons they might have lost -- height disadvantage and counterattacking vulnerability-- didn't even really factor in aside from the Blackstenius chance in the first half.
Bummer
Watching Hina trying to block out Blackstenius on a corner and hoping it didn't find her head. Yeah the height thing was quite evident.
But Sweden got nothing from that or from being stronger/heavier, really. One poacher's goal (that Japan could have cleared faster), one fluky, pure bad luck handball. If Japan had had any kind of luck at the end, it would have gone into extra time, and the Nadeshiko seemed to have at last found the answers. I'm still just gutted...