USA v Japan – live | Sachin Nakrani

• Email sachin.nakrani@guardian.co.uk with all your thoughts • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Follow Sachin on Twitter if that’s your thing 42min: This first-half is ending on a niggly note, with both teams giving away needless free-kicks. USA in possession though deep inside the Japan half. Ending the first period just how they started it. This from Curtis in Minnesota: “Japan is the smallest side in the competition and Abby Wambach is the biggest, most imposing forward, but Wambach is constantly toppling over like a felled redwood as soon as a defender is anywhere near. Interesting, that.” 39min: Kawasumi blasts a shot over the bar after collecting Miyama’s short corner on the edge of the area. A neat little joke from Damien Neva: “USA thus far is a team full of misses”. Sepp Blatter is here. That’s good to know… 35min: And another chance for USA. Cheney reacts first to a lofted cross into the area and her looping header beats Kaihori before dropping just over the bar. Remarkably, Japan have had 52% of possession in this match. You would not have predicated that having watched the action so far. In fairness, most of that has been harmless passes across their backline. Very little of note in the opposition’s half. 30min: Japan were camped in their own half before braking out through Ohno. She played a cute pass to Ando whose low, left-footed shot from inside the US area was weak and easily saved by Solo. Japan’s best effort, however. Indicates that counter-attacking may be their best chance of snatching a goal here. 28min: Wambach hits the bar! That’s the best chance of the game. Came about after the referee played advantage for a foul by Iwashimizu on Cheney, Wambach seized possession, drove towards the Japan goal and then unleashed a left-footed drive which beat Kaihori but not the underside of the bar. 27min: Japan’s first corner, came about after Rampone, the US captain, headed clear a cross from the left-wing. The set piece comes to nothing, however. 25min: Japan struggle to clear the danger before Wambach’s volleyed cross from the left-side is held low down by Kaihori. 24min: Japan must pass the ball quicker if they are to sustain any pressure in this match. They’re looking to pass it around but then lose possession as the US snap at their legs and win the ball back. And they now have a corner on the right-side… 22min: Shot at goal for Japan, from Ohno. It came from some long overdue possession from Japan in the USA’s third of the pitch. The low drive was weak, though, and caused Solo in the US goal no problems whatsoever. Encouraging for Sasaki’s side, though. 20min: USA definitely on top so far and had all the chances. But it’s still goalless… 19min: The left-wing is definitely the USA’s best source of danger so far in this contest. Rapinoe causing havoc from there which Kinga, the Japan right-back, simply cannot contain. 17min: Rapinoe causing problems again, driving into the area from Lloyd’s pass before thrashing a drive into the side netting. Wambach is not happy, though. She was waiting in the six-yard area for a cut-back. 17min: Very ambitious effort from Lloyd which easily drifts over the bar. But Japan cannot afford to stand off these efforts if they are to get back into this match. 16min: ‘Happy birthday Angela’ reads a sign held by one of the spectators. 16min: Japan keeping the ball at the back now, trying to build up some possession. Iwashimizu in particular is neat wit the ball. US pressing relentlessly here, not allowing Japan any space in their third and then releasing the ball quickly through midfield. 11min: US starting to dominate again. Lloyd went close before Rapinoe met Cheney’s pull-backed pass in the area with a side-footed drive that skimmed just wide of the post. Japan just cannot get hold of the ball here. This from Mark Judd: “I’ve been to Tokyo twice in the past six months and more pleasant and polite people I’ve yet to meet. It is has to be Japan for me”. 9min: Another chance for the US as Wambach hits a long-range right-footed drive at goal. Drifts just over the bar, but the effort had Kaihori worried. Error before; there has been a shot on target in this game – Cheney’s early drive. Apologies. 8min: Oh another chance for USA. Rapinow whips a low cross towards the near post which Cheney reacts to first, but her poked shot goes just wide of the near post. Very even so far, USA started the brightest before Japan began to dominate possession and territory in the centre of the pitch. No shots on target as yet. 6min: Wambach gives away possession to Sawa but Rapinoe wins it back for the US. She plays a one-two with Lloyd but cannot retain possession down the left-wing and its a goal kick for Japan 5min: Sakaguchi with another interception in the centre of the pitch for Japan but her lofted pass poses no danger for the US defence. Japan appear to have settle after early US pressure. 3min: Ohno intercepts the ball in the centre of the pitch and tries to release Sameshima but USA’s defence cut out the danger. 2min: USA clearly intent on setting the pace here. Not allowing Japan to settle in the early stages. 1min: Early chance for USA. Cheney charges into the area from the left-wing and drives a shot towards the near post which Kaihori has to clear for a corner, which Japan just about to clear. Very strong start for the favourites. 1min: Japan kick-off…. Incidentally, Sawa is joint top-scorer in this tournament with four goals. Wambach has three for the USA, all of which were headers. Right then, we’re ready for action. Looks like a packed stadium for this, the sixth Women’s World Cup final. Teams are out in Frankfurt. National anthems about to take place… Kick-off approaching. It’s apparently 16c in Frankfurt…. Teams are in: Japan Kaihori, Kinga, Iwashimizu, Kumagai, Sameshima,Sakaguchi, Miyama, Kawasumi, Sawa, Ando, Ono. Subs: Yamago, Yano, Utsugi, Kamionobe, Tanaka, Nagasato, Maruyama, Takase, Iwabuchi, Fukumoto. USA Solo, Rampone, Le Peilbet, Krieger, Buehler, Boxx, Lloyd, Rapinoe, O’Reilly, Cheney, Wambach. Subs: Barnhart, Mitts, Sauerbrunn, O’Hara, Rodriguez, Morgan, Cox, Lindsey, Heath, Loyden. Referee: Bibiana Steinhaus (Germany) Good evening all and welcome to the final of the 2011 Women’s World Cup. Japan v USA, or to use a Biblical cliche, David v Goliath. Japan have failed to beat their opponents in 25 previous matches, drawing three and losing the rest. In the United States, they also face a nation that has won two of the previous five Women’s World Cup; the first ever in 1991 and then again, on home turf, in 1999. Japan, in contrast, have never even reached the final. But now is the time for change. This Japan side ain’t half bad, in fact they’re pretty special. So much so that they have been refereed to as the ‘Barcelona of female football’. Norio Sasaki’s team also have a cause that goes beyond the mere desire to lift a gleaming trophy – victory in Frankfurt this evening would help lift a nation devastated by March’s earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. Both these teams have reached the final in eerily similar style, finishing second with six points in their respective groups before requiring extra-time to get through the quarter-finals and then winning their respective semi-finals 3-1, against Sweden in Japan’s case and France in the USA’s case. Japan have also lost to England and beaten the hosts, Germany, along the way, hinting at an inconsistency which makes the USA favourites to secure a third world title at the Commerzbank Arena tonight. A couple of players to keep an eye on; for Japan it has to be their captain and record caps-holder, Homare Sawa, who scored a hat-trick in her team’s 4-0 group win over Mexico and at the age of 32, remains a crucial figure. The USA will look to Abby Wambach for inspiration, a scorer in their quarter-final win over Brazil and semi-final triumph over France. Kick-off to come at 7.45pm. Should be decent…. Good evening all. Sachin will be here from about 7.15pm to guide you through the final of the women’s World Cup. If you get here before him, here’s Louise Taylor’s on why USA are favourites to lift the trophy but how Japan are spurred on by the need to lift the spirits of their nation. Enjoy. Aya Sameshima used to have a part-time job at the Fukushima plant. The last time she clocked on was in early March, just before Japan found itself devastated by an earthquake, a tsunami and the subsequent nuclear disaster which engulfed her workplace. On Sunday evening Sameshima will be part of the Japan defence as the team, at the 26th time of asking, aim to finally beat the United States in a women’s football match. Far from any old game, it is the final of the World Cup in Frankfurt and much is at stake. While neutrals can only be heartened by Japan’s welcome distraction from the enduring depression engendered by a disaster that left 21,000 people dead or missing, US fans hope victory may be sufficient to see North America’s financially fragile Women’s Professional Soccer League removed from effective life support. They trust Sameshima, who recently relocated to the WPSL by signing for Boston Breakers, will not thwart such ambitions on an evening when trans-Atlantic interest is such that Chelsea Clinton forms part of an official US delegation dispatched to cheer the team on. Continued here Women’s World Cup 2011 Women’s football Sachin Nakrani guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.