Elanga’s 62nd-minute finish did the job of keeping Sweden in the mix and making sure Japan’s next hurdle is a doozy. In the end, the 1-1 in Group F put them both in the knockout phase. Japan go through on five to play the five-time world champions; Sweden make it on four as one of the top third-placed teams.
Why the draw matters now
It means second place for Japan, right behind the Dutch, and a last-32 with Brazil where they’ll be put to the test. For Sweden, it was a matter of digging in. They were 5-1 down to the Netherlands not long ago, but they’ve put that behind them and are through on four points.
The rules of the format helped too. Sweden has one of the eight spots for the best of the rest from the 12 groups. It was a safety net for what Elanga put in and for Graham Potter’s call to get back on the front foot after a hard week.
How the game flipped
Japan got there first at 56. A bit of give-and-take between Ritsu Doan and Ayase Ueda and then a well-placed pass from Doan for Daizen Maeda to put past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
But only six minutes on, Elanga was on it. He curled a left-footer from the edge of the box over the defence and left Zion Suzuki for it. A no-nonsense moment that put some wind in Sweden’s sails and put an end to what was building for Japan.
Fine margins and big saves
The two in goal made it what it was. Three minutes after the leveler, Suzuki was all over a move from Alexander Isak, and in stoppage time he put his hand to a header to make sure of Japan’s spot.
Not much to see in the first half. Keito Nakamura had to be put away by a full-stretch from Widell Zetterstrom, and a deflection sent a Viktor Gyokeres shot wide. Then you had Ao Tanaka going a bit astray in the second half before the goals started to come.
Mindset that carried Sweden through
Elanga has the right head for it. He’s been open about wanting to be the one to turn the tide and has had Potter in his corner from the start. The lads in the dressing room know what they need to do and are ready to up a gear when it counts in the knockouts.
There was a practical side to it, but also some bite. Sweden were in the thick of it late on, but Japan held their line and Suzuki was there to put out any fires. You could see why both were good for this stage of the tournament.
What comes next
Japan have to deal with Brazil in the last 32. It will be a measure of the kind of quick, sharp football that has seen them to seven goals here. They are the group’s number two on five, which is more of the same for them of late.
Sweden are in as one of the best third-placed, with an opponent to be named once the other games are done. They’ll want to be more solid at the back than they were against the Netherlands, but with Elanga and Isak around, they have enough to work with.
Here’s what you need to know as we head into the knockouts:
– Japan in for a last-32 with Brazil
– Sweden are through as a best third
– Goalkeeping made the difference when it was on
In the end, the 1-1 was only right. Japan had their fluid way of opening the scoring; Sweden had the answer. With the sort of fine line you have in these games, it won’t take much to separate them in the weeks to come.
