Nadeshiko Japan taking momentum into Women’s World Cup knockout stage

Japan stormed via the group stage on the Girls’s World Cup with three dominant wins, and playmaker Yui Hasegawa says it’s vital that it maintains that degree of efficiency in opposition to Norway in Saturday’s final 16 conflict.

The 2011 champion exited within the first knockout spherical 4 years in the past in France, however is in significantly better form this 12 months after scoring 11 objectives within the group stage, which it rounded out with a 4-0 dismantling of Spain.

“Three matches, three clear sheets and into the knockout stage — what we’ve got to do is sustain that degree of efficiency,” mentioned Hasegawa, who featured in all three group matches.