Japan Lose the Women's World Cup Final After Failing to Learn from Mistakes

Facing an in-form and confident United States side, the hope for Japan was that they could use their stance as underdogs to cause an upset in the final of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. After 16 short minutes and four defensive mistakes, the Nadeshiko’s dreams were dashed and their hold of the trophy was all but relinquished.

Goals on both sides of the half-time whistle gave the Japanese hope, but if you continue to make the same mistakes in defence, you will be made to pay against the best sides in the world.

All the pregame talk centred on the U.S. side looking for payback from their defeat on penalties four years ago in Germany, so it was clear they would come out of the blocks flying. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and Jill Ellis’ team caught the Japanese side freezing to death in the opening minutes.

After just three minutes, Megan Rapinoe drilled in a low corner kick from the right, and Golden Ball nominee Carli Lloyd timed her run to perfection, finishing exquisitely with the outside of her left boot. It was criminal of Japan to leave a player of Lloyd’s class—especially because she had scored in the three previous games—completely unmarked and allowed to run into the box unchallenged.

Two minutes later, Lloyd and the USA had their second goal, and Japan failed to learn their lesson. The cross came from the same side—this time from Tobin Heath’s free-kick. Lloyd timed her run from deep and after Julie Johnston’s flick, the midfielder positioned herself in between the Japanese centre-backs to knock the ball over the line.

Coach Norio Sasaki’s side, although shocked, looked like they had found their feet, but avoidable errors would again take their toll. Fourteen minutes were on the clock when Azusa Iwashimizu could only head a U.S. through ball up into the air. Lauren Holiday was first to react, and she perfectly smashed her volley past Ayumi Kaihori to make it 3-0.

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It would go from bad to worse for the Japanese goalkeeper just two minutes later when Lloyd grabbed her hat-trick and put the U.S. 4-0 up after 16 minutes. She stole the ball in the middle of the park, and once on the halfway line, looked up and launched a shot toward goal. Kaihori back-peddled but could only get a faint hand on the ball, and it found the bottom corner.

The damage was done. Japan got one back after 27 minutes when Yuki Ogimi turned perfectly in the box to finish beautifully with her left foot and give Japan a lifeline going into the half-time break.

Just seven minutes into the second half, it looked like we might have a game on our hands when Johnston headed a Japan free-kick beyond Hope Solo to bring the score back to 4-2, but mistakes would ruin their chances once again.

Japan, for the third time in the game, failed to deal with a U.S. set piece, and the U.S. would extend their lead back to three. The ball made its way to the back post, and no one dealt with it with any conviction. Morgan Brian was there to cut the ball back for the unmarked Heath to put it across the line.

After Sasaki's changes, Japan coped better with the threat of the U.S. attack, but we will never know how much of that was to do with an upturn in Japan’s performance and how much of it came from the U.S. taking it easy on their opponents with the game beyond their reach.

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The Nadeshiko were outmuscled, outworked and outclassed on the day, light-years away from their performance in Germany four years ago. When Japan needed to up their game and go to the next level, they couldn’t find the next gear. Sasaki will need to work on that before Japan try to capture the crown in 2019, when they do it all again in France.