World champions Japan reach women’s final

LONDON, (Reuters): World champions Japan weathered a storming fight back from France to win 2-1 in an action-packed match at Wembley on Monday and reach the women’s Olympic soccer final.

After a quiet opening half-hour the first match came to life when Yuko Ogimi gave Japan the lead and continued to enthral a huge crowd of 61,482 right to the nerve-jangling finale in what was an outstanding advertisement for the women’s game.

Ogimi scored when she scrambled the ball home after French keeper Sarah Bouhaddi fumbled a long freekick from Japan skipper Aya Miyama after 32 minutes.

Japan doubled the lead with a well-directed header from Mizuho Sakaguchi in the 49th from another Miyama free kick. France, who never stopped attacking and generally played the better football, finally Broke through in the 76th with a brilliantly-executed volley from substitute Eugenie Le Sommer.

Three minutes later they had the chance to equalise with a penalty but Elise Bussaglia fired wide. Only desperate, last-gasp defending and outstanding saves from Japan goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto kept France out. Japan had the chance to wrap up the win in added time when Ogimi, running through with only Bouhaddi to beat, hit the post but they held on for a win that puts them into the Olympic final for the first time.

France had beaten Japan 2-0 in a friendly in Paris just before the Olympics but Sasaki said he learnt enough from that defeat to counter their tactics at Wembley, preventing wing back Wendie Renard from creating anything for her side. France, who finished fourth in last year’s World Cup, will get the chance of an Olympic bronze in their first appearance in the tournament, when they face the losers of the other semi-final at Coventry on Thursday.