Memorable moment: Sawa comes to Japan’s rescue

As a universe of football depends down to a exhibit of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ official button and aphorism – in Paris on 19 Sep – we are counting down a 10 Most Memorable Moments in FIFA Women’s World Cup history.

The background
In subordinate for Germany 2011, Japan confirmed their record of carrying seemed during each FIFA Women’s World Cup. Only once had they left past a organisation phase, however, during Sweden 1995, where they went out in a quarter-finals.

The Nadeshiko arrived in Germany usually 3 months after a trembler and tsunami that had ravaged a vast partial of their homeland. As their captain Homare Sawa acknowledged, they had other things on their minds aside from football: “We weren’t accurately in a right support of mind to play.”

The Japanese pulled together, however, and played some pleasant football that took them into a final opposite USA, hold in Frankfurt on 17 July. Two-time champions, a absolute Americans were sloping to win. Japan took them to additional time, however.

Why so special?
With 3 mins of additional time remaining and a USA heading 2-1, a Japanese forced a corner. Aya Miyama took it, promulgation a low round in towards a nearby post. Making a darting run opposite a American defence, Sawa got to it first, flicking a round first-time with a outward of her right foot to send it fizzing into a behind of a net. That late strike buoyed a Japanese and deflated a USA, who missed 3 spot-kicks in a ensuing shootout – dual of them saved by Ayumi Kaihori – as a Nadeshiko prevailed 3-1 to join a name rope of universe champions.

What she said
“The American players are unequivocally high and it’s unequivocally formidable to opposite that, so we motionless to conflict a nearby post during that final dilemma kick. My initial thought was to bombardment a round and see if any of my team-mates could get on a finish of it. That idea altered my career, and we don’t unequivocally consider I’d be means to repeat it. It’s a best idea I’ve ever scored.”

Relive Japan’s delight on video, and click here for some-more on this ancestral moment.

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/development/news/y=2017/m=9/news=memorable-moment-sawa-comes-to-japan-s-rescue-2907914.html