Arlington, June 24: Japan sit second in Group F with four points, level on points with the Netherlands but behind on goal difference, while Sweden are one point back in third on three. A Japan win sends them through with a genuine shot at topping the group; a Sweden win keeps their knockout ambitions alive and could leapfrog both rivals depending on the other result
This is the Group F decider in everything but name. Japan come in with genuine momentum under H Moriyasu, unbeaten in two games and boasting a goal difference of plus four. Their 4-0 win over Tunisia was the sort of performance that sends a message across the bracket, and the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, a result that could so easily have been a victory, underlined that this is a side capable of matching Europe’s heavyweights.
Sweden’s form reads like a tale of two very different halves. Their 5-1 opening-day demolition of Tunisia was genuinely thrilling, with Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak combining to devastating effect, but the 1-5 collapse against the Netherlands ripped the mask off a defence that still looks brittle under sustained pressure. Graham Potter’s side need a result here, but they arrive as underdogs for good reason.
The stakes amplify everything. Japan know that a draw may be enough depending on the other game, but their instinct under Moriyasu has always been to press and score rather than park. Sweden, for their part, cannot afford to sit back. A match that opens up suits both attacking units, but Japan’s structural discipline gives them the edge when the game gets tight in the final quarter. (Agenices)
