Japan reach fourth straight World Cup knockouts as Sweden also through after draw | OneFootball

Japan qualified for the World Cup knockout stages for the fourth consecutive tournament after a 1-1 draw with Sweden to finish second in Group F at the Dallas Stadium.

The Blue Warriors took the lead with one of the best team goals the tournament has seen so far, finished off by Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, but Anthony Elanga soon levelled with a brilliant curling effort to haul his team top of the third-placed teams ranking.

Zion Susuki pulled off two fine saves in stoppage time to deny Graham Potter’s side – who also made out of the group in third – as Japan survived the late challenge to set up an extremely enticing round of 32 tie with Brazil in Houston next week.

As it happened

Having successfully dealt with two Swedish corners in the opening minutes of this decisive game in Group F, Japan burst into life when Maeda dashed into the penalty area.

He felt he should have been awarded a penalty after being nudged by Leeds full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, but referee Ivan Barton did not give the Samurai Blue an opportunity to convert from the spot.

It proved to be a rather physical first half with Anthony Elanga left aggrieved that Ao Tanaka and Hiroki Ito both escaped without a booking for their respective rash challenges.

Tanaka was spoken to by the referee after halting Yasin Ayari’s run, but again was not shown a card.

While Japan grew to be the better of the two sides, they struggled to convert their chances as Maeda nodded his header over the bar, with Ayase Ueda then unable to get a shot off after being played through by Yukinari Sugawara just after the half-hour mark.

Although the Samurai Blue had been lucky to escape punishment for some of their challenges, the Blågult weren’t quite as fortunate.

Tanaka’s ball through for Ueda allowed the forward to turn past Isak Hien, who was shown the first yellow card of the match for tugging on the shirt of the Feyenoord man.

It would be the defender’s last involvement of note, as he was replaced by Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall after picking up a leg injury 10 minutes before the break.

Bizarrely, that wasn’t to be the only personnel change in the first half. Hajime Moriyasu opted to introduce Shogo Taniguchi at the expense of captain Ko Itakura, who didn’t seem to be carrying an injury.

Japan grew in confidence in the final few minutes of the half, with Sugawara seeing his effort from the edge of the penalty area held by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Keito Nakamura’s cross from the left was too awkward for anyone in blue to latch onto, but just seconds later he forced a fine stop from the goalkeeper to keep the game goalless at the break.

Japan’s opener 11 minutes after the restart was a goal of the highest order as Ritsu Doan exchanged an intricate one-two with Ayase Ueda and threaded a precise through ball into Maeda.

Darting in between the Swedish centre-backs, he arrowed his shot low and into the net past a sprawling Jacob Widell Zetterström that had sprang off his line to meet him.

But Sweden were level just after the hour when Elanga made himself available out wide and received the ball from Viktor Gyökeres, after some good hold-up play from Arsenal’s first-choice striker.

Elanga then quickly cut inside onto his left foot and whipped a glorious strike right from the corner of the penalty area past Zion Suzuki to level the game in some style.

Japan had to withstand some pressure as Graham Potter’s side found some renewed confidence following the Newcastle winger’s equalizer, as Suzuki turned Alexander Isak’s strike around the post after his team lost the ball 25 yards from goal.

But they could’ve been back in front had second-half substitute Ogawa volley home a cross in from the left on the stretch, but he could only turn it over the crossbar.

There was no need for Japan to get overly ambitious, though, and commit to many men forward, as a point would be enough to take them through in second.

Suzuki made a pair of saves in stoppage time to deny Elanga a second from a tight angle on the right and then Suzuki’s header at the near post from a corner.

The game finished level as the action suggested was a fair result that saw both sides through to the round of 32.

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Japan – Sweden Live Score