Sweden Stuns Japan to Reach World Cup Semi-Finals

Sweden defeated Japan 2-1 in the Women's World Cup quarter-finals on Friday, setting up a semi-final clash against Spain.

The Swedes took the lead in the 20th minute through Amanda Ilestedt, who headed home from a corner. They doubled their advantage in the 51st minute when Filippa Angeldal converted a penalty after Fuka Nagano was adjudged to have fouled Kosovare Asllani in the box.

Japan pulled a goal back in the 78th minute through Yui Hasegawa, but they were unable to find an equaliser as Sweden held on for a famous victory.

The win was a major upset, as Japan were the defending champions and had been unbeaten in their previous 10 matches at the World Cup. Sweden, on the other hand, were making their first semi-final appearance since 2011.

The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating chances. However, Sweden were more clinical in front of goal and took their chances when they came.

Zecira Musovic was outstanding in goal for Sweden, making a number of important saves to keep Japan at bay. She was particularly impressive in the second half when Japan were pushing for an equaliser.

Angeldal was a constant threat for Sweden up front, and her goal was a well-taken penalty. She also had a number of other chances, and she could have scored more goals.

Ilestedt was also impressive for Sweden, scoring her first goal for the national team. She was solid at the back and helped to keep Japan at bay for most of the match.

Japan will be disappointed with the result, but they can take heart from their performance. They were the better team for large parts of the match, but they were undone by a couple of clinical finishes from Sweden.

Sweden will be confident of reaching the final, but they will face a tough test against Spain in the semi-finals. Spain is the current world's number one team, and they have a number of dangerous players in their squad.

The semi-final between Sweden and Spain will be played on Tuesday, August 15th. The winner will progress to the final, which will be played on Saturday, August 19th.

Sweden stunned Japan 2-1 in the Women's World Cup quarter-finals, setting up a semi-final clash against Spain. Amanda Ilestedt and Filippa Angeldal scored for Sweden, while Yui Hasegawa scored for Japan. Zecira Musovic was outstanding in goal for Sweden, making a number of important saves.