Hinata Miyazawa scored her fifth goal of the tournament as Japan beat Norway 3-1 in a clash of former champions on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time.
Japan have been on a mission to bury the memory of their disappointing exit at the last-16 stage in 2019 and they will now move on to play the winner of Sunday's clash between holders USA and Sweden.
Although they conceded their first goal of the tournament to Guro Reiten's header, an own goal from Norway's Ingrid Engen as well as second-half strikes from Risa Shimizu and Miyazawa got them across the line in front of a crowd of 33,042.
It just had to be her 🤩#FIFAWWC top-goalscorer Hinata Miyazawa scores the goal that surely sends #JPN to the quarter-finals! pic.twitter.com/V8bETLTLWx
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 5, 2023
Miyazawa's 81st-minute goal moved her out of a tie with Germany captain Alexandra Popp as the tournament's leading goalscorer as well as matching Homare Sawa's Japanese record for a World Cup set in 2011 when the Nadeshiko clinched the title.
