Norway star Caroline Graham Hansen declares Japan the team to beat at FIFA Women’s World Cup

At Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington: Japan 3 (Ingrid Engen own goal 15’, Risa Shimizu 50’, Hinata Miyazawa 81’) Norway 1 (Guro Reiten 20’) HT: 1-1

Norway star Caroline Graham Hansen has labelled Japan as the team to beat at the FIFA Women’s World Cup after becoming the Asian giants’ latest victims.

Japan eliminated Norway with a 3-1 win in the round of 16 at Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday night after golden boot leader Hinata Miyazawa scored her fifth goal of the tournament to seal their place in the last eight.

Japan will face either the United States or Sweden in an Auckland quarterfinal on Friday night.

Miyazawa’s 81st-minute clincher was Japan at their ruthless best.

Aoba Fujino drove through midfield and played a killer pass through Norway’s defence for Miyazawa to slot home.

No one was tipping the 11th-ranked Japan to win the World Cup at the start of the tournament but according to UEFA Champions League winner Graham Hansen they are the real deal.

“I think they showed maybe why they have been the best team so far today,” Graham Hansen said.

“They’re so disciplined and very structured in the way they play offence and defence. They’re not an easy team to play against.

“Today they had less effectiveness than they did against Spain, but they have so much quality in front of goal that they don’t need a lot of chances.

“If they need to lay low then they will lay low and counter attack. They have the quality and even today they did that.

“I think they have a lot of strengths to play on and they have shown that they can do it against different types of teams.”

It was high praise from a player of Graham Hansen’s calibre, but while Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda appreciated her comments, he said his team were remaining humble.

“For each match we are doing our best one by one to go up the steps,” he said.

“Each match we’ve really tried to do our best. Whether we are No 1, we will find out if we continue winning. We will find out at the end.”

While Miyazawa’s goal with nine minutes left to play in regular time ultimately decided Saturday’s knockout match between two former champions, Norway were left to rue two costly defensive blunders.

Ingrid Engen handed Japan an early lead when she guided the ball past her own goalkeeper.

Miyazawa floated a dangerous ball into the penalty area and Engen failed to control it.

“I don’t know what else to do. I’m trying to defend,” a devastated Engen said.

“When you’re half a second behind these things can happen.

“Of course I’m disappointed scoring an own goal but at the end of the day I’m just trying to defend and these things can happen.”

Norway bounced back from the early setback when Guro Reiten rose high and scored with a thumping header five minutes later.

The goal was Norway’s 100th World Cup goal and the first Japan had conceded at the 2023 tournament.

Norway set up defensively, lining up in a 5-4-1 formation anchored by Engen in an unfamiliar centre-back role in an attempt to contain Japan striker Mina Tanaka.

With former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg not deemed fit enough to start, target forward Sophie Roman Haug kept her spot up front and Norway looked to play off her.

That is how their goal came.

Roman Haug dropped into midfield from a goal kick and she won the header and released Graham Hansen.

But their good work was undone by a moment of madness from Vilde Bøe Risa early in the second half.

Risa tried to play a risky pass back to Tuva Hansen after winning possession in her own penalty area and it did not come off.

The pass was intercepted by Risa Shimizu, who ran through and scored to restore Japan’s lead.

Down 2-1, Norway turned to Hegerberg with 16 minutes left to play as they searched for a way back into the game.

They should have equalised when Graham Hansen cut inside from the right and released Karina Sævik, but the substitute dragged her shot wide of the goal.

Sævik was also denied at the death by an incredible save from Ayaka Yamashita.

The misses proved costly as Miyazawa added Japan’s third goal to eliminate Norway from the World Cup.

“Of course it’s a pity that we conceded two goals in not the best moment but we kept pushing and fighting and the third goal came as a consequence when we tried to push,” Graham Hansen said.