Game 7 - Japan vs Zambia

After a routine early morning (UK time) win for the US, we move on to a match that feels pivotal even at this stage of the tournament. In a group that Spain seems likely to dominate, and in which Costa Rica will struggle, today's result could go a long way to determining the second qualifier. Japan, finalists in 2011 and third place getters in 2015, meet a Zambian side appearing in their first Women's World Cup. However, in Barbra Banda the African side have one of the sport's most devastating attacking players. It didn't help them much at the Olympics where her goals were rendered largely irrelevant by the concession of 15 across the three group matches.

That's the big question today then. Can the Zambians keep things tight defensively? Japan generally don't score a load of goals at major tournaments so they may not be the team to take advantage of any Zambian generosity.

2 min: Already, Japan's movement is causing a few problems and Hasegawa's intelligent run across the box is found by Endo. It leads to nothing but an early indication that Zambia's defenders need to be switched on.

6 min: First chance for Japan but Tanaka fires over from 15 yards. The Zambian defensive shape looks problematic to me. Their central defenders aren't maintaining a consistent line and it offers space for the Japanese to exploit. And Fujino probably should have scored as Zambia don't deal with a decent cross from Endo.

8 min: Hmmm. Tanaka latches on to a long ball that should have been dealt with but her low cross flashes across the box. Mweemba misjudged the flight of the ball and, frankly, she looks nervous every time it's on her side. Looks like a weakness to be exploited.

10 min: A brilliant strike from Aoba Fusion thumps against the post from 25 yards. She's notionally playing wide but keeps dropping into central areas. It's contributing to the confusion at the back for Zambia as the left back isn't picking her up but nor is a midfielder.

15 min: I'm a little disappointed by Zambia so far. They are playing 4-4-2 when they have the ball, with Mapepa dropping back when they are out of possession to create a 4-5-1. The problem is that they have no numbers in the middle of the park when they get the ball so are restricted to hitting it long and hoping Banda and Mapepa can link up and create something. It isn't working.

18 min: Endo is impressing as a wing back pushing forward wide on the left. A willing runner, she's getting on the ball a lot and I'm pretty sure that left foot of hers will open something up at some point.

21 min: 1-0 Japan. It was Endo, albeit from a free kick on the right, who whips in a dangerous cross. Zambia can't deal with it and it falls to Tanaka who finishes well from 6 yards out. Hang on...VAR. Offside. It stays 0-0. Yeah, she moved a fraction early and definitely interfered with the play as the free kick came in to the box. Fair enough.

25 min: Japan play with an awful lot of positional fluidity. Tanaka is the one attacking player who stays high with the others - Miyazawa and Fujino in particular - seemingly given a free licence to roam.

29 min: It's Endo again who causes problems on the left, beats a defender and puts it on a plate for Tanaka who miskicks from 8 yards. Should have scored. Almost immediately Japan's other wing back, Risa Shimizu, delivers a wonderful low cross to the near post but keeper Musonda just does enough to put Tanaka off and Zambia clear.

35 min: Kundananji has won a free kick wide on the right for Zambia. Is this the moment? Nope, an in swinging free kick is easy for Yamashita to claim. Given the paucity of their attacking play they are going to have to make the most of any set piece opportunities. Banda's hardly had a touch up front, with the Japanese back three dealing with the aerial balls well so far.

37 min: great ball from Minami who fires a ball thirty yards from the half way line and finds Fujino in acres of space. Fortunately for Zambia Mweemba gets back and gets a touch on her shot. Probably missing anyway in all honesty.

39 min: Another decent effort from deep. Nagano this time forces a decent save. The chance was caused by Fujino maintaining width on the right and getting the ball into the box before it fell to Nagano. I'm liking the way that Japan are mixing up their angles of attack.

40 min: Where's your left foot Barbra??? Zambia finally build something and get the ball to their star but she tries to control with her right foot when surely her left would have been better and the chance is lost.

43 min: Definitely 1-0 this time. Fujino again finding space on the right, thanks to some ball watching by Tembo, and her cross is a beauty. Miyazawa's run is well timed and she finishes confidently with one touch. Nice goal.

Half Time: a pretty dominant performance from Japan. Zambia haven't been able to, and are probably incapable of, maintaining possession for any length of time and the Japanese have marshalled Banda pretty comfortably. It seems they are relying on a bit of magic or a lucky bounce to create a chance.

From Japan's perspective, their movement is really good and is designed to create overloads out wide where Fujino and Shimizu on the right, and Endo and Miyazaki on the left, have created most of the problems. Hasegawa and Nigino, the two central midfielders are controlling the pace of the game, constantly shifting the ball to pull the Zambians out of their defensive shape and creating the space for the wide players. If Tanaka had been a little more composed this could have been 3 or 4.

47 min: half chance there for Miyazawa - pretty simple ball over the top and she had drifted behind a sleeping Belemu. Tame effort in the end though and it floats high and wide of the left hand post.

49 min: 2-0, and finally one of Endo's balls provides Tanaka, who almost messed it up, with enough time to slot left footed into the net. Oh no....offside again!! By about 6 inches I reckon. Still 1-0

50 min: But probably not for long. Hasegawa releases Fujino down the right and she's clattered by the keeper. Penalty. Hang on, another VAR check. Fujino is offside. I think I'm going to have to hold off on my updates moving forward!!

55 min: 2-0. I've been desperate for Endo to create a goal ever since I mentioned her in the first few minutes and THIS TIME it has happened. A great run behind Belemu is found by Hasegawa and she looks up, drills a ball across the box, about 4 yards out, and Tanaka slides in to finish into the bottom corner. Endo could have had 3 assists already.

57 min: Fujino...oh no. A sitter. That weak point at the back for Zambia, where Tembo and Mweemba just aren't communicating, is exploited by a 40 yard ball from the back and Fujino has time to pick her spot from 12 yards out but mishits it and it flies over the bar. It's just too easy and every chance seems to be coming as a result of the Zambian full backs, in particular, getting caught by runs in behind.

62 min: 3-0. Tanaka wriggles past her defender on the right and pulls it back for Miyazawa who taps it in from a few yards out. I've never been a fan of trying to interpret body language but the Zambians are looking a little deflated. It could be fatigue of course because they've spent an hour chasing the Japanese players around the park. It's not easy and you have to worry for them at this point. A big difference between them and, say, Costa Rica yesterday is that Zambia's defensive shape never looked particularly solid so they don't have a structure to fall back on to shore things up.

66 min: Ueki replaces Tanaka up front. I only mention it because the way things are going, she'll definitely get a chance at some point.

68 min: Should have been the first hat trick of the tournament. A free header 8 yards out for Myiazawa but she doesn't connect with any conviction and it dribbles feebly wide. The ahcnce was a result of a good flick on from Ueki who is a very different player from Tanaka. More of a physical presence. Something to look out for later in the tournament when they need to change things up when chasing games.

71 min: WOTM Endo makes it 4-0. In fairness she's released into acres of space ny Hasegawa and that wand of a left foot is never going to miss from 10 yards. She drives it across the keeper into the far right hand corner of the net with ease.

73 min: This is becoming a procession. Brilliant cross from the right and Fujino, again, should score but heads straight at the keeper from a few yards out. And then Ueki gets that chance, put through one v one but blasts over. Zambia are all over the place.

75 min: Gee, Hasegawa has been really good. Definitely a rival for WOTM. The further the match goes on, the more she is the one spraying the ball around. The pace of her passing is always on point and she has that knack of making it easy for the receiving player to take the ball in stride.

78 min: So close for Ueki. Musonda comes out to try and claim a through ball but Ueki's commitment makes it a 50/50 and the ball spills free. The Japanese striker hits the target but Tembo gets around to clear off the line.

82 min: Finally. Barbra Banda shows some strength, balance and touch to force a corner but, unfortunately for Zambia, it comes to nothing.

84 min: Apropos of nothing in particular, I think I love Ueki's game. She is so committed - a cross comes in behind her and she somehow contorts her body to get a head on the ball. It goes well wide but you have to commend the effort.

88 min: Not sure why it's taken this long but all of a sudden Zambia are pressing high to try and pressure the three Japanese central defenders. Great, I suppose, but a bit pointless at this stage.

90 min: An actual chance (almost) for Zambia. Some positivity the middle of the park see the the ball come to Belemu on the right. She whips in a lovely cross but it's just behind Barbra Banda and Japan clear.

94 min: Another wonderful ball from Hasegawa releases Seike on the left but her attempt is straight at Musonda.

97 min: Penalty. Musonda bring Ueki down. Now this is interesting. She's been given a second yellow card and is sent off. Her first yellow was given for the aborted first penalty which was overturned because Fujino was offside. Is the ball dead in that circumstance? If so, should the first yellow have stood? Anyway, Ueki to take. Hits the bar and they can't get to the rebound. Great save actually from Sakala the replacement keeper.

99 min: This is nuts. The keeper moved early and the penalty has to be retaken. This time Ueki scores. 5-0 Japan.

FULL TIME: unfortunately, this was just as one sided as the first match in this group between Spain and Costa Rica. As with that match, it's difficult to judge how much this means for Japan moving forward. It's clear that the final group game between the two heavyweights will decide the group winner as they'll both win their next matches easily enough. Zambia were disorganised at the back and bereft of any composure going forward.

Japan were really good. As mentioned already, their movement is superb and that will make them difficult to handle for better sides than Zambia. Both wing backs played high up the pitch and caused havoc today. Whether there'll have the same freedom against the likes of Spain is a question for another day.

WOTM is a toss up between Endo and Hasegawa (although VAR has a should given the plethora of disallowed goals/penalties/saves). I'll just about give the edge to Endo but that's mainly because two of the disallowed goals were essentially created by her. I really like that Japan have, in Tanaka and Ueki, two totally different strikers. It gives them options and enables them to offer a different type of threat in the same match. Not sure they are good enough to win the tournament but they are in the mix on that performance.

Thanks for reading and on to England as the Lionesses take on Haiti in 15 minutes.