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Japan barely bought out of second gear because it brushed apart Costa Rica in a 2-0 win that has it on the cusp of qualifying for the Girls’s World Cup knockout phases.
First-half objectives from Hikaru Naomoto and Aoba Fujino put the Japanese in a commanding place in entrance of 6992 followers at Dunedin Stadium.
The scoreline would have been bigger have been it not for the heroics of Costa Rica goalkeeper Daniela Solera, who saved her aspect within the contest towards a Japanese aspect who registered 25 photographs to their 6.
Offering heavyweights Spain beats minnows Zambia in Wednesday’s later recreation in Group D, Japan will advance to the knockout phases for a fourth straight World Cup.
Solera was capable of frustrate Japan for giant components of the sport as her aspect slumped to a second successive defeat.
The Costa Rica No.1 held onto a Saki Kumagai header and parried a Naomoto effort large as her aspect discovered themselves on the fallacious finish of a high-octane begin from the Japanese.
There was solely a lot Solera might do and when proper again Maria Coto slipped giving chase to a ball, Japan had a gap.
Coto’s stumble allowed Naomoto to get to the ball first and the skilled midfielder was readily available to fireside in for a Twenty fifth-minute opener.
Extra distress was on its method for Costa Rica when Fujino discovered house on the Japanese proper and charged into the field two minutes later.
The 19-year-old Japanese ahead might have handed however unleashed a shot at Solera’s close to submit as an alternative and it paid off superbly with the No.1 unable to maintain the highly effective effort from moving into at a decent angle.
Japan continued to threaten till half-time however the Costa Rica goalkeeper saved it at bay.
The Costa Rica stopper did effectively to stop efforts from Honoka Hayashi and Yui Hasegawa moving into through the opening quarter of an hour of the second half.
With victory assured Japan took its foot off the fuel.
Coach Futoshi Ikeda took off each goalscorers within the latter interval of the second half understanding subsequent Monday’s recreation towards Spain in Wellington will seemingly resolve which nation tops the group.
-AAP