US to Play Japan in Olympics’ First True Redemption Match

By Kara McDermott

It would be too easy to slip into superlatives concerning the upcoming gold medal game between the US and Japan.

The women’s game runs on a two year cycle with the World Cup immediately followed by the Olympics in the subsequent year. The disappointed of the first tournament focus on the Games for some consolation.

However, there has never been a true redemption match-up such as will play for the gold medal this year. The finalists of the World Cup have never before met again in the next immediate Summer Games and no team has ever won the top two titles in back-to-back years. In fact the US and now Japan are the only teams to even play in the finals of both tournaments in consecutive years.

The US has been gunning for this pairing since before the opening whistle in London. The two teams have played three times since Germany.

Earlier in the year, they played each other in a decisive match in the Algarve Cup that determined which team would play for first and which for third. A 84^th minute goal by Megumi Takase kept the US, who have won seven of the last nine cups, from playing for gold. The US would take the bronze with a 4-0 decimation of Sweden and Japan would lose 4-3 to Germany.

After south Portugal, the teams met up for a wild-weather derby in Japan along with Brazil. The two top ranked teams tied each other and both beat Brazil by a margin of three goals, but Japan’s extra goal (a 4-1 victory as opposed to the US’ 3-0) was the deciding factor in naming Japan the winner of the Kirin Challenge Cup in the first year it featured a women’s side.

Certainly, these have been a sticking point in the motivation of the American players, but they do have the advantage of knowing that though Japan often has their number, the quick technicians of the Rising Sun can be beaten. In a send-off friendly between the two teams shortly before the Games, the US crushed Japan 4-1 off of braces by Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan.

In the current tournament, it’s amazing that Japan is even in the final. Not because they aren’t a skillful team, but because they have scored so few goals. They advanced second out of their group behind Sweden after scoring only two goals, less than any of the other advancers, including the two third-place wildcard slots. Overall, they have scored just six goals from five players (for perspective, Christine Sinclair of Canada has six herself).

This ties Norway with fewest goals heading into a final, but in the Nordic case, the year was 2000 when there was no quarterfinal round, but rather group play right into semifinals. The US is currently sitting on 14 goals from five players.

Japan has made an art of perfect timing. The US tries to score early, often and keep the pressure coming all the way to the end. Even when leading by two goals against France in group play, in the waning minutes they were still looking for net instead of just holding the ball and running out the clock.

Japan is not so greedy. Their patience in waiting for the right time to strike is unparalleled and has been the downfall of the US in the past. With clinical strikes from players like Aya Miyama and Sinobu Ohno, Japan is often content with one precise death blow. Free kicks and corners are particularly dangerous.

Another notable quality of the Japanese team is their clean play. They are the only team in history, men or women, to win the World Cup and the Fair Play award in the same year. Not only does this make them a worthy competitor, but it cuts off one of US’ favorite goal-scoring methods: set pieces with the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Morgan and Wambach. (So if you want to see a Seattle Sounder excel on set-pieces, watch the women).

The US’ greatest asset is their ability to run. It’s difficult not to harp on how large a part fitness plays into the women’s game on the world stage as parity increases across the board. The current litmus test of a team’s fitness is how long they can keep their legs against the Americans.

The US’ stoppage time in extra time goal against Canada shows this: the fated cross to Morgan’s head came after Heather O’Reilly chased down an uncontested ball that looked to be going out for a throw-in.

The final match will feature the two strongest teams in the world playing two very different styles of play. The gold medal will satisfy either one’s bitter redemption or another’s historical glory.

The US will play Japan at 11:45 a.m. PST to finish the Olympic Games.