EDMONTON, Alberta — The pressure is off now that Japan gets the opportunity to defend its Women’s World Cup championship.
And not even the prospect of facing the suddenly surging United States in the title match in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday is enough to worry Norio Sasaki.
Japan’s coach was in a philosophical mood after his usually fluid-passing team showed uncharacteristic tentativeness in pulling out a 2-1 victory over England in a semifinal showdown Wednesday. It was a game decided with about a minute left in second-half stoppage time, when Laura Bassett directed the ball into her own net.
“I think they desired too much to go to the final and that might have affected the mentality in some players,” Sasaki said through a translator. “But now we are going to the final, and I don’t think that kind of pressure is there anymore because they’re in the final.”
There was also a personal objective that played a factor, Sasaki added.
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His players wanted to win for injured defender Kozue Ando, who broke her left ankle in a tournament-opening 1-0 win over Switzerland.
After having surgery in Japan, Ando will rejoin her teammates in Vancouver.
“We can invite her back, so we can fight together,” Sasaki said.
Fourth-ranked Japan will face what’s become a familiar foe with a championship on the line. Japan defeated the Americans on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw in the 2011 World Cup final.
The U.S. responded by beating Japan 2-1 to win the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Overall, the U.S. is 24-1-6 against Japan.
“Only the god knows the outcome,” Sasaki said. “And Japan needs to build up on our power. And that’s what I take away from this game.”
Japan came out flat against sixth-ranked England, which bottled up the middle to prevent the Japanese from gathering momentum from their ball-control approach.
The teams traded penalty kick goals in the first half. Japan’s Aya Miyama scored in the 33rd minute, and Fara Williams tied it in the 40th.
England took control during the second half, when it dominated much of the play.
The game was decided when Nahomi Kawasumi drove up the right side and sent a cross into the middle for Yuki Ogimi. Bassett was in full stride when she reached out with her right foot, caught the ball flush and inadvertently directed it toward her net.
