It was a result that served everybody but, even though the mutual convenience of a draw became evident rapidly, at least this game conjured up two moments to cherish. Japan guaranteed the runners-up spot that always seemed likely to be theirs and will face Brazil in Houston on Monday; a point was enough for third-placed Sweden to run the gauntlet of some head-spinning round-of-32 permutations that could pair them with France or their local rivals Norway.
Graham Potter and Hajime Moriyasu could have been excused shaking on the outcome after a featureless first half. But this is Dallas, not Gijón; the crowd were served a marvellously-worked goal by Daizen Maeda, quickly cancelled out by Anthony Elanga’s spectacular long-range strike. Potter had wanted his team to manage the fine margins after Sweden’s wildly fluctuating start to the tournament and could, by the end, embrace his staff knowing the job was done.
The Oranje bus had better get a move on. A comfortable victory over Tunisia after being sent on their way by a record-equalling 12th own goal of the tournament and further strikes from Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke sealed top spot in Group F for the Netherlands ahead of Japan.
Their prize is avoiding a meeting with Brazil in the last 32, with Ronald Koeman’s side now set for a mouthwatering showdown with Morocco in Monterrey instead. Having arrived in southern Texas almost a month ago and already taken in games in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City, the specially converted bus that has become a fixture at recent major tournaments now faces a journey of more than 1,000 miles before Monday’s game in northern Mexico.
Graham Potter's reaction
Credit to the players. They stood up and take responsibility, as they have in all the time I’ve been with them. It was a tough game against another good team but we stuck at it.
I’m delighted for Anthony [Elanga] because he’s been amazing off the pitch and now he’s got two goals.
Next up: the Group D finale
This is who the Group F teams will play in the last 32
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Brazil v Japan (Houston, Monday 29 June)
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Netherlands v Morocco (Guadalupe, Monday 29 June)
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Sweden v Germany/Switzerland/France/Norway (venue and date tbc)
Full time: Japan 1-1 Sweden
Japan and Sweden are through to the knockout stage after an honourable draw in Dallas. The first half was a stinker, but the second was enriched by two excellent goals from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Elanga. With the Netherlands beating Tunisia 3-1, this is the final Group F table.
90+3 min: Isak hits the bar!
So close to a winning goal. Ayari clipped a left-wing corner to the near post, where Isak rose highest to flick an excellent header towards goal. Suzuki reacted brilliantly to throw up his right hand and the push ball onto the bar.
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90+3 min Elanga almost nicks it for Sweden with an early shot across goal from the right side of the area. Suzuki reacts well to dive to his right and push it away.
Elanga has been excellent, comfortably Sweden’s most dangerous attacker.
90 min Seven minutes of added time.
89 min Japan, lest we forget, came from 2-0 down to beat Brazil in a friendly last year. That match could be a cracker, although I thought the same about Brazil v Chile in 2010.
88 min Victor Lindelof has cramp and is being replaced by Carl Starfelt. Benjamin Nygren also comes on for Gabriel Gudmundsson.
86 min “Why would Sweden want to win and face Brazil?” wonders Utkarsh Sharma.
Well, if they score a goal it would reduce the chances of defeat, elimination, P45s and rotten eggs. Also, if they finish third they could face France, who are better than Brazil, no?
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85 min Gyokeres bundles over Kamada and is booked. Kamada has had an excellent game by the way.
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83 min At the other end, a good early cross from Kamada is volleyed over on the stretch the substitute Ogawa. Tough chance.
80 min Elanga is fouled near the corner flag by Hiroki Ito. Ayari’s outswinging free-kick is headed wide from 15 yards by Lagerbielke.
Sweden are having a strong spell here.
78 min A Sweden corner is flapped away by Suzuki. Sema runs onto the bouncing ball and hits a shot from the edge of the area that is blocked at source.
77 min Taniguchi commits a silly foul on Gyokeres and is booked.
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76 min: Japan substitution Yuto Nagatomo, winning his 146th cap, and Tsuyoshi Watanabe come on for Ayumu Seko and Keito Nakamura.
75 min: Double substitution for Sweden Ken Sema and Daniel Svensson on for Bernhardsson and Stroud.
73 min If it stays like this, Sweden will play one of France, Norway, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland in the last 32. Japan v Brazil and Morocco v Netherlands would be set in stone.
71 min Play resumes in Dallas.
68 min Time for the ad break.
67 min: Double substitution for Japan Junya Ito and Koki Ogawa replace Ayase Ueda and Ritsu Doan.
65 min Sugawara has a brain freeze and gives the ball to Isak just outside the area. His low shot bounces just in front of Suzuki, who does well to smuggle it behind for a corner.
64 min The Netherlands have restored their two-goal lead against Tunisia. Meanwhile…
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If Japan’s goal was a lovely team effort, then this was all Elanga’s own work. He cut inside from the right, reached the corner of the area and flashed a brilliant left-foot curler in to the far corner. The keeper Suzuki saw it late and didn’t react until it was too late; had he seen it earlier he may well have saved it. But it was still a terrific strike.
GOAL! Japan 1-1 Sweden (Elanga 61)
Anthony Elanga equalises with a cracking goal!
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59 min “Now,” weeps Scotland fan James Humphries, “bang another three or four in please lads!”
57 min Japan are still second in the group as things stand, but another goal for them – or a goal for Tunisia – would change that.
Sweden may qualify even if they lose this game by a single goal. What they can’t afford is a bit of a pasting.
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Sugewara, on the right, slid a crisp pass infield to Doan. He flicked the ball round the corner ot Ueda, got it back and sliced Sweden apart with a devastating angled pass. Maeda made a perfectly timed run off Bernhardsson, controlled the ball on the stretch and screwed it past Widell Zetterstrom. Lovely stuff.
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GOAL! Japan 1-0 Sweden (Maeda 56)
Lovely goal! Lovely goal!
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55 min In the other Group F game, Tunisia have halved the deficit against the Netherlands. That doesn’t impact the Group F table, yet.
53 min Widell Zetterstrom deflects a ferocious close-range volley from Kamada over the bar, though it wouldn’t have counted because of an offside.
50 min At the other end, Stroud’s corner is headed wide by Lagerbielke. He was ahead of the near post and surrounded by defenders, so it wasn’t really a chance.
48 min Tanaka beats two players cleverly on the edge of the area, only to launch his shot into the Dallas night sky.
46 min Japan get the second half under way. No changes at half-time.
Half-time reading
Half time: Japan 0-0 Sweden
So, Gianni, about this 48-team World Cup.
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45+1 min Five minutes of added time.
45 min A good spell for Japan at the end of the first half. First Nakamura fairly leathers a cross that is impossible to control at the far post; then Maeda lays a quick pass off to Nakamura, who sweeps a right-foot shot towards the far corner from 15 yards. Widell Zetterstrom gets down smartly to his left to push it behind.
43 min Netherlands still lead Tunisia 2-0, so they are highly likely to win the group and face Morocco in the last 32. If it stays like this Japan will play Brazil, while Sweden will be through but will have to wait to find out who they play. Apparently France are the likeliest opponents.
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40 min Sugawara’s long-range drive is comfortably held by Widell Zetterstrom. But it’s Japan’s first shot on target and if that isn’t a life-affirming moment then I don’t know what is.
39 min: Japan substitution Both teams have been forced into a first-half substitution. Shogo Taniguchi replaces Ko Itakura, who is able to jog off the field but presumably has an injury problem.
38 min “This game has mates rates written all over it,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “This seems one of the pitfalls of the 640-team format with third-place finishers being part of the knockout equation.”
True, although there was a more egregious example when only the top two went through.
37 min: Sweden substitution Lucas Bergvall replaces the luckless Isak Hien, which means Victor Lindelof will move back into defence.
36 min Hien’s match is over, possibly his World Cup. He’s been helped off the field by a couple of the physios.
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35 min Now Hien has an injury problem. He stretched in an attempt to cut out a cross from the right and appears to have pulled something in the process.
32 min Ueda storms past Hien near the halfway line and is cynically pulled back. A clear yellow card.
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28 min The match is back under way. It started promisingly, but the last 10-15 minutes haven’t been great.
24 min Time for the hydation break.
22 min Nakamura finds the overlapping Ito on the left. His outswinging cross is headed wide by Maeda, a very tough chance as he was moving away from goal.
19 min There’s an increasingly strange feel to this game. Japan look like a team who aren’t entirely sure what they’re playing for, while Sweden look unsure whether to stick or twist. It’s not a stinker, far from it; it’s just a bit confused.
15 min Doan hits a long-range shot that is blocked by either Stroud or Gudmundsson. Japan are coming into the game after a slowish start.
12 min It’s a pretty open game so far, with Sweden making most of the running. Japan have no qualms about playing on the counter-attack.
Urgh, if only Kaoru Mitoma was at this tournament. That guy is a genius.
10 min “Hello from Dallas,” writes Ben Mimmack. “Me and the boy are in the stadium. Swedish fans are more noticeable (because yellow), but the Japanese fans are making all the noise. Really good atmosphere here.”
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9 min Right here, right now, Japan will play Brazil in the last 32. That would be a contender for tie of the round.
8 min There have been two early goals in the other Group C game. Tunisia have scored one of them, sort of.
6 min At the other end, Bernhardsson throttles a shot straight at Suzuki from the edge of the area.
5 min Maeda gallops towards the area and goes over after being leaned into by Gudmundsson. Not quite enough for a foul, and it was probably outside the area.
3 min Sweden have started with Gudmundsson as one of the three centre-backs, with Lindelof in midfield and Stroud as the left wingback. And it looks like Elanga and Isak are playing as wide forwards, but don’t quote me on that.
Sweden (3-4-2-1) Widell Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Hlen, Gudmundsson Bernhardsson, Lindelof, Ayari, Stroud; Elanga, Isak; Gyokeres.
2 min A couple of early corners for Sweden, though nothing comes of either.
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1 min Sweden kick off from right to left as we watch.
A reminder of the teams
Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Seko, Itakura, H Ito; Sugewara, Tanaka, Kamada, Nakamura; Doan, Maeda; Ueda.
Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Taniguchi, Nagatomo, Watanabe, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, J Ito, Y Suzuki, Sano, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai.
Sweden (poss 3-4-1-2) Widell Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Hlen, Lindelof; Bernhardsson, Stroud, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Elanga; Gyokeres, Isak.
Subs: V Johansson, Nordfeldt, H Johansson, Svensson, Ekdal, Starfelt, Smith, Bergvall, Nygren, Sema, Karlstrom, Svanberg, Zeneli, Nilsson, Ali.
“If I have my permutations correct,” begins James Humphries, “Japan battering Sweden would mean Scotland are not quite out yet; but as this occurred to me I was reminded of a mate many years ago, at about six in the morning at a party, going: ‘At a certain point, you’re just running from the comedown’.
“‘Running from the comedown’ should incidentally be the title of the Official Authorised SFA Book about this campaign, but it bloody won’t be.”
Wouldn’t Japan have to beat Sweden by four goals, or am I running from the wrong comedown?
A bit of pre-match reading
Group E results
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Ecuador 2-1 Germany
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Curacao 0-2 Cote d’Ivoire
Ecuador have qualified as one of the best third-place teams and will face either Mexico, Portugal or Colombia in the last 32. For some reason I thought there was a chance of them playing England, but I appear to have pulled that from an unreliable fundament.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Ivory Coast | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Curacao | 3 | -8 | 1 |
The two matches in Group E are about to finish. Ecuador lead Germany 2-1, which is bad news for Scotland among other things, and Cote d’Ivoire are 2-0 up on Curacao.
Ecuador could play England in the last 32, which has the potential to be a popcorn job. They’re a handy side.
Team news
Both head coaches make three changes. Japan bring in Yukinari Sugawara, Ayumu Seko and the human gegenpress, Daizen Maeda, for Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kaishu Sano and Junya Ito.
The Sweden keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, who conceded five against the Netherlands, is replaced by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. Elliot Stroud and Anthony Elanga also come into the side in place of Benjamin Nygren and Jesper Karlstrom.
Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Seko, Itakura, H Ito; Sugewara, Tanaka, Kamada, Nakamura; Doan, Maeda; Ueda.
Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Taniguchi, Nagatomo, Watanabe, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, J Ito, Y Suzuki, Sano, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai.
Sweden (poss 3-4-1-2) Widell Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Hlen, Lindelof; Bernhardsson, Stroud, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Elanga; Gyokeres, Isak.
Subs: V Johansson, Nordfeldt, H Johansson, Svensson, Ekdal, Starfelt, Smith, Bergvall, Nygren, Sema, Karlstrom, Svanberg, Zeneli, Nilsson, Ali.
Referee Ivan Barton (El Salvador).
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In other news…
Sweden have had quite the rollercoaster ride, with a 5-1 win over Tunisia and a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands. I think they’re the first team since Denmark in 1986 to score and concede at least five in separate games at the same World Cup. I don’t know much about that Denmark team but they sound like fun.
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What happens next
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The winners of Group F will meet Morocco in Guadalupe on Monday.
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The runners-up will play Brazil in Houston, also on Monday.
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If the third-placed team qualify, they will play one of France, Norway, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland.
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Japan aren’t officially through to the knockout stage, but it’s hard to envisage a scenario whereby they fail to qualify. Sweden probably need a draw but could lose and go through, especially if it’s a narrow defeat.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | Japan | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 2 | -8 | 0 |
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Rob will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s the briefing from Graham Ruthven’s daily guide on what to know about this Group F matchup:
What to watch for
Japan are flying under the radar as one of the most quietly impressive teams at this World Cup so far. Indeed, Hajime Moriyasu’s side swept aside Tunisia with ease after controlling large periods of their opening match against the Netherlands. They will use this final group game to tune up for the knockout rounds.
Sweden’s strengths and weaknesses have been highlighted for all to see. They became the first side in World Cup history to lose their second match by a four-goal margin after winning their first match by a four-goal margin. Graham Potter’s outfit need more control.
Player to watch: Alexander Isak, Sweden – The Liverpool forward has looked something like his old self at this World Cup and could be a difference-maker if Potter can find the right system to harness him without destabilising the rest of the team.
