Women's World Cup 2015: Semi-Final Results, Championship Odds and Prediction
The USA and Japan will meet on Sunday, July 5, in the final of the 2015 Women's World Cup, after both sides needed a bit of luck to qualify from the semi-final stage with wins over Germany and England, respectively.
And according to the latest odds, the Stars and Stripes are expected to avenge the upset loss at the hands of Japan suffered in the 2011 edition of the tournament.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the USA and Japan have met in just about every major women's football final in recent memory, so Sunday's matchup shouldn't come as much of a surprise. And while the Yanks managed to beat Japan at the 2012 Olympics, the Women's World Cup is the main prize, and the title the Nadeshiko Japan will be defending.
According to Odds Shark, the USA are 1-3 favourites over Japan, who have been handed 11-5 odds entering the final. But the latter team are not to be underestimated, having won all of their matches during the 2015 Women's World Cup and conceded just three times on their way to the final. Here's a look at how the semi-finals played out.
| June 30 | USA | 2-0 | Germany |
| July 1 | Japan | 2-1 | England |
Semi-Final Recap, Preview
The USA knew they would have to battle to get past tournament favourites Germany to make it to the final, and while two controversial decisions somewhat overshadowed their performance, Jill Ellis' troops got the job done when it mattered the most.
Most pundits, including FootballFacts 101, agreed Julie Johnston should have received a red card for her second-half foul that resulted in a German penalty, an opportunity striker Celia Sasic proceeded to miss:
Minutes later, Carli Lloyd converted a penalty of her own, generously given for a foul that appeared to happen outside of the box. The USA's lead was a controversial one, but once the team scored their first goal, they took control of the match.
Kelley O'Hara's late strike was just icing on the cake, giving the USA a two-goal lead that wouldn't be bridged.
The USA weren't the only team to be given a controversial penalty during the semi-finals. In fact, it happened twice during Japan's 2-1 win over England. First, there was this challenge, which appeared to be committed outside of the box, per Eurosport UK:
The Sunday Times' Jonathan Northcroft was fairly certain that the Three Lionesses' equaliser, which also came from the spot, was a poor decision as well, somewhat making up the opportunity Japan had been gifted.
Both sides left it all on the pitch during the second half, and the difference was made in injury time, when Laura Bassett scored an unfortunate own goal to send Japan into the final.
England manager Mark Sampson did his very best to console the defender after the match, as reported by Sport Illustrated. He said: "She's been courageous, strong, kept this group together. She didn't deserve that, but she should be looked upon as a hero. Absolute hero."
Neutral fans won't complain with the outcome of that match, however. While England's run through the tournament was magical, another rematch between Japan and USA is just about the best fans could have hoped for given the way the seedings played out.
Some fans of the Stars and Stripes may feel as if the team already got its revenge during the 2012 Olympics, but the World Cup is a far bigger tournament, and much more important on the grand scale of things.
Fans like actor Masi Oka couldn't care less about the results from the Olympics―in their minds, Japan's win from four years ago still stands out:
In many ways, Japan play the game in similar fashion to Germany. They work the ball around quite well, move quickly in attack and generally don't make many defensive mistakes. But the Nadeshiko Japan lack Germany's size, making them vulnerable on set pieces, and while they look impressive in possession, the forwards haven't exactly been clinical in front of goal.
The USA have had similar problems, often looking sloppy in the attacking third and failing to truly dominate their opponents. But the 2-0 semi-final win over Germany was the team's best performance yet, and the Yanks may be hitting their best form at the right time.
Sheer size and defensive solidity may be the difference in this final. Johnston may have given up the penalty that could have handed Germany the lead, but she's otherwise been arguably the tournament's best performer and will lead the American back line against Japan.
The Yanks will have to be careful of their movement, but should be able to keep control of that part of the pitch.
On the attacking end, crosses and set pieces will play a huge part. The USA have used their advantage in size to devastating effect against most of their opponents, and the Japanese defence has struggled in the aerial battles.
The Americans shouldn't hesitate to fire in crosses if they get the chance, and they should win the final if they don't stray from those tactics.
Final Prediction: USA 2-1 Japan.
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