A second half that finally came to life ensured both Japan and Sweden secured their places in the World Cup knockout stages, with Daizen Maeda’s smart finish cancelled out by Anthony Elanga’s long-range strike in a 1-1 draw at Dallas Stadium.
The first half had been sterile, so much so that one could have forgiven the managers, Graham Potter and Hajime Moriyasu, for shaking hands at half-time. Keita Nakamura’s shot just before the whistle, which brought a stretching save from Sweden’s surprise goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström, was the only action of note.
“Japan and Sweden both advanced to the World Cup last 32 after a 1-1 draw in Dallas, with goals from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Elanga.”
But after the break the game sparkled. Japan took the lead with a marvellously worked goal from Maeda, the recalled Celtic forward, and for a spell Sweden could not handle their head-spinning interplays. Yet a piece of long-range brilliance from Elanga meant everyone got what they came for, and Potter could embrace his staff delightedly by the end.
“I’d have snapped his hand off, yeah!” Potter joked when asked how he would have reacted if Moriyasu had suggested a draw beforehand. “Over the course of the game I think it was a fair result and arguably we were slightly better in the second half,” he added.
Sweden, who had risked throwing such a promising campaign away after a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands earlier in the group, finished the stronger. Alexander Isak’s late header was turned on to the bar, almost snatching a win that would have given them a date with Brazil.
Instead, Japan will face the Seleçao in Houston on Monday as group runners-up. They can draw confidence from having beaten Carlo Ancelotti’s side in a thrilling friendly in Tokyo back in October. “Thank goodness this is Dallas and not Gijon,” noted the Guardian’s Nick Ames, referring to the infamous 1982 World Cup match, but this time there was no disgrace in a draw that served everyone.