US Women and Japan Battle to a Draw

US Women and Japan Battle to a Draw by Chris Brown

June 2, 2016 – The past two Women’s World Champions met at Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park in Commerce City, Colorado, for the first time since the two sides met in the 2015 World Cup final in an international friendly.

On that occasion the Stars and Stripes came away with the win and the cup after a 5-2 victory thanks to a first half Carly Lloyd hat trick and goals from Lauren Holiday and Julie Johnston.
The US and Japan met in three finals from 2011 to 2015, with Japan winning the 2011 World Cup and the USA winning the 2012 Olympic Gold and the 2015 World Cup.

For the US, they are without the 2015 Women’s Player of the Year as Carly Lloyd is still recovering from an MCL strain she suffered while playing for the Houston Dash on April 23rd.
Japan recently failed to qualify, out a very difficult qualifying group, for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and have subsequently fallen from fourth in FIFA’s world rankings to seventh. Head Coach Norio Sasaki stepped aside in the wake of the failure and Japan went on to appoint Asako Takakura, the first female coach of the Japanese Women’s first team.
The US had the better of early possession as the American wingers were able to find space behind the Japanese half-backs, but after the opening few minutes Japan began to establish the quick short passing that has been their trademark over the past 5 years and pushed their attack into US territory.
The Colorado locals were in full voice cheering on Mallory Pugh any time the midfielder touched the ball. Pugh, registering her 12th international cap on the evening, grew up in Highlands Ranch, a suburb southwest of Denver.
In the 15th minute Japan opened the scoring when Mana Iwabuchi collected a pass from Mizuho Sakaguchi and cut in from the right wing to the top of the box. No American defender was willing to step out of the box and shut down the Japanese attacker and Iwabuchi made the Yanks pay by curling a beautiful ball past Hope Solo into the top left corner of the American goal.

The US struggled to retain possession of the ball after Japan scored the opener and the Americans spent the six minutes after the opening goal defending deep in their half.
The pressure paid off again for Japan as Captain Yuki Ogimi was able to hammer home a Emi Nakajimi cross into the bottom left corner of Solo’s goal putting the US Women down two goals to nil.
The goal was created by some lovely passing from the Japanese midfield. Every time a Japanese player passed the ball off they drifted into space between the US lines and opened up a new passing lane. The result was the US being cut apart as they ball watched.
The Americans, galvanized by the two goal deficit, quickly clawed a goal back in the 27th minute. Colorado native Mallory Pugh was set free down the right wing and after lifting her head picked out Alex Morgan alone in the middle of the box. Morgan calmly side footed the ball on the Japanese goal and although Ayaka Yamashita got a touch on the ball, it wasn’t enough to keep the US off the scoreboard.
The game settled in after the opening barrage of goals and although Japan had a great chance to extend their lead in the 42nd minute when a hard driven shot careen off Hope Solo’s crossbar, the match went into halftime with Japan leading the US two goals to one.

In the first half the US looked most dangerous from crosses while Japan exploited the space between midfield and defense to create their chances.
The Second half began in similar fashion to the first, the US came out and pushed into the Japan half of the field of the field looking to create chances from crosses, but Japan began to work their way back into the game.
In the 54th minute Emi Nakajima sent a rocket at the US goal from 30 yards out but the effort sailed just wide of Solo’s goal.
In the 56th minute Yki Ogimi received a second yellow card for a bookable offense, after receiving a first yellow car in the 39th minute. The prospect of Japan being down to ten players for the remainder of the match seemed to buoy the US Women, it was the break they needed to turn the tide of the match.
Jill Ellis then made two changes in the 61st minute taking off Morgan Brian for another Colorado native in Lindsey Horan, to the delight of the sold out Colorado crowd, and Christen Press in for Crystal Dunn.
In the 64th minute the US won a free kick on the right wing and Tobin Heath stepped over the dead ball. Heath sent in an in-swinging cross that fizzed in to the Japanese six-yard box and found the run of Alex Morgan who headed home the equalizer.
In the 80th minute a poor clearance from Japanese keeper Yamashita was sent straight to the feet of Alex Morgan. Morgan hit a shot at the Japanese goal first time and should have done better than she did as her effort was saved by Yamashita who came diving in to correct her mistake.
In the 89th minute local hero Lindsey Horan got on the end of a cross from Kelley O’Hara and headed the US into the lead. The goal came after a series of impressive individual skills and team passing from the US and the goal was a deserving ending to the build up.

The goal looked to give the US the win after a tremendous comeback but it was not to be.

In stoppage time Mizuho Sakaguchi split the US defense with a lovely weighted through ball to substitute Kumi Yokohama who had plenty of time and space to slot the ball home, without a challenge, past Solo into the bottom left corner of the American goal.
The match ended 3-3.
After the match US Coach Jill Ellis said she was impressed with the US Women’s response. Saying “Everything we’re doing now is to prepare for the Olympics.”
On the rivalry with Japan Coach Ellis said “It’s at that point, it doesn’t matter what players are in uniforms, this is Japan/US. I know Cleveland and the Warriors have a game going tonight, but I think this is a bigger rivalry.”
The draw won’t sit well with either team, but they’ll each have another chance to grab a win when the sides play a second friendly in three days time, on June 5th, in Cleveland.