Japan's Women's National Team: A Strong Contender in the 2023 World Cup

August 29, 2023

The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. This spectacle presents an exciting opportunity for both countries to showcase their passion for women's football and promote women's sports across the region and globally while shining a light on the nations' ability to organize a world-class sporting event. With Sweden, unfortunately, eliminating Japan in the quarter-final round in Auckland on Friday, we look back on Japan's journey in preparing and competing in the tournament. Check out オンラインスポーツベットガイドレビュー2023 to find out predictions for future Women's World Cup fixtures.

Playing Style and Tactics of Nadeshiko

As a country with a strong tradition in women's football, Japan has consistently performed well on the international stage, namely when they lifted the World Cup trophy in 2011 after beating the United States in the final. One key aspect of the Japan team's success in women's football is their technical and tactical proficiency.

Admired globally for their disciplined and possession-based style of play, the Nadeshiko is adept at maintaining control of the ball and creating opportunities in which they can score. In addition to their technical skills, Japan's players also possess great speed, agility and teamwork. The team's cohesion and understanding on the field allow them to execute intricate passing sequences and exploit gaps in the opposition defense.

Japan's Journey to the Knockout Stage

Unfortunately, they are yet to taste victory again since their 2011 win. The Nadeshiko team started strong and communicated that they were here to take it all by defeating Spain 4-0 in Wellington, finishing top of Group C and advancing to the final 16. Unbelievably, they outsmarted Spain despite having marginal possession and sitting five places below Spain in the FIFA rankings.

The team went on to dominate the group stage and win all three tournaments against Costa Rica, Zambia and Spain, qualifying them for the knockout stage in early August. Their match against Zambia on 22 July was particularly impressive, with Nadeshiko running out 5-0 winners.

While this was certainly a formidable victory, Nadeshiko were no match for Sweden this time around. The Scandanavian quarter-final triumph solidified their place in the semi-finals against Spain and saw an end to the tremendous fight Japan had put up against their sporting competitors at every turn throughout the tournament.

After raising the bar for women's football globally and showcasing the high quality of female athletes in Japan, the Japan team certainly left behind a Women's World Cup 2023 legacy to be proud of.