PREVIEW | World Cup crossroads at the Cook Strait
The path to revenge is never a straight path according to the samurai code, but it has its forks, its turning points and labyrinths where it is easy to get lost. Like that path, the road to a World Cup also has its crossroads, and this Monday Spain finds itself at one of them.
From 9:00 (Spanish peninsular time) with live coverage on La1 TVE and minute-by-minute coverage on this official website. Having already qualified for the Round of 16, the national team is playing for much more than a mear place to the knockout stages.
Follow the match live from 9:00 (Spanish peninsular time) on La 1 TVE and there’s also minute by minute on this official website.
In a stadium like the Wellington Regional Stadium, located in front of the strait that divides the two main New Zealand islands, Japan and Spain will be battling to win their group and maintain their unbeaten record which would give them a presumably more favourable draw; as well as meaning less travel and retuning to the same city next Saturday against Norway (in the case of a win or draw) as their opponents in the next round, instead of Switzerland, who they would only play if they lost.
Spain, if they get at least a draw, will face Norway in the last 16 and Switzerland in the event of defeat on Monday.
A lot is up for grabs against the most difficult opponent they have faced at this World Cup to date. Japan have never beaten Jorge Vilda's Spain in four previous meetings, but their coach, Futoshi Ikeda, can look back to a U-20 World Cup triumph five years ago in the final against a Spanish side that included four of the current World Cup squad.
Click here to listen to coach Jorge Vilda’s and player Esther González’ comment before the match.
Old foes of the national team, such as Portland Thorns midfielder Hina Sugita, Angelina Jun Hendo and attacker Mina Tanaka, all of whom have the talent of Fujino and Hasegawa, will come up against a Spain team with an impeccable World Cup record to date, producing intimidating numbers in their play and with a almost fully fit squad in which captain Ivana Andrés was the only absentee in the training session prior to the match.
The well-coached teams, who like to be on the ball, will be hoping for a memorable duel full of dynamic play on the Wellington pitch. The match will be refereed by Russia's Ekaterina Koroleva, assisted on the sidelines by Americans Katie Nesbitt and Felisha Mariscal, with Canada's Myriam Marcotte acting as fourth official.
The match will be refereed by Russia's Ekaterina Koroleva, with Americans Katie Nesbitt and Felisha Mariscal as assistant referees and Canada's Myriam Marcotte as fourth official.
The Nadeshiko or ‘ideal women’, as they are commonly known, will put the Spanish World Cup dream to the test, clinging to another Japanese proverb that states the non-existence of danger for those who, like this group of 23 exceptional sportswomen, are well prepared.
