(Photo credit score: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images)
Zion Suzuki made 4 saves, together with two massive ones in stoppage time to protect the tie, as Japan completed in second place in World Cup Group F with a 1-1 draw in opposition to Sweden on Thursday in Arlington, Texas.
Japan (1-0-2, 5 factors) completed because the runner-up to Netherlands (2-0-1, 7 factors) and can face Brazil on June 29 at Houston in spherical of 32. The Dutch earned a 3-1 win over Tunisia (0-3-0, 0 factors) on Thursday.
Sweden (1-1-1, 4 factors) moved to the highest of the third-place standings and likewise earned a spot within the spherical of 32 in opposition to an opponent to be decided.
Japan’s Daizen Maeda scored within the second half earlier than Sweden’s Anthony Elanga tallied his second aim of the World Cup. Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom completed with two saves.
Following a cautious defensive first half that noticed the groups mixed for simply three photographs on aim, Japan broke by to take a 1-0 lead within the 56th minute. Ritsu Doan hit Maeda slicing into the center of the field with a by cross, and Maeda drilled a right-footed shot into the underside left nook of the web.
However, the lead was short-lived. Elanga, a ahead who performs for Newcastle United, tied it six minutes later with a left-footed blast from the appropriate fringe of the penalty field that sailed into the far left facet of the web. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres picked up an help on the rating.
Sweden practically took the lead three minutes later when ahead Alexander Isak of Liverpool booted a right-footed shot from the center of the field that Suzuki batted away with a two-handed save in entrance of the appropriate publish.
Suzuki made a pair of grade-A saves in second-half stoppage time to maintain Japan degree. The first got here on a right-footed shot by Elanga from the appropriate fringe of the 6-yard field. The try was going towards the far nook earlier than Suzuki swatted it away. Moments later, Suzuki deflected an Isak close-in header on a nook over the crossbar.
Swedish defender Isak Hien needed to be helped off the sector with an obvious left hamstring harm close to the top of the primary half. Hien went down within the penalty field after stretching his leg out to attempt to deflect a crossing cross by Yukinari Sugawara. Twenty-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who performs for Tottenham Hotspur, got here on for Hien with captain Victor Lindelof of Aston Villa sliding again into Hien’s spot.
–Field Level Media