Just like Brazil in the same group a few hours before, Spain made a big step towards the quarter-finals, extending their winning run to four matches. Now, the championship hosts have six points, while Japan remain on two points. 

MAIN ROUND IV
Spain vs Japan 28:26 (15:15)

Spain wasted no time and demonstrated their superiority since the opening minutes, as solid defence and efficient counterattacks powered 'Las Guerreras' to a 8:4 lead 12 minutes into the match.

Yet, facing Japan is not a piece of cake for anyone, which Asian side proved by beating Croatia on Monday. In the next six minutes, Spain missed a few opportunities, and an impressive 6:1 run put the Japan ahead, 10:9.

Their left wing Hikaru Matsumoto stood out with her six goals before the break, but as the sides continued to trade goals, Martine Echeverria – who went on to become Spain's joint top scorer in this game with five goals and hummel Player of the Match – drew level for Spain at 15:15.

After the restart, the home team improved their defensive game to create a 19:16 advantage, making the Japan coach call for a time-out. It had an effect, as his agile and tenacious players used a 3:0 run to restore parity again.

However, Spain performed at home, and they got extra energy from their fans, who were screaming, applauding and beating the drums during the entire match. Supported by the audience, the European side pulled clear at 25:21 seven minutes before the final whistle.

"I am very happy and proud of my team. Japan are a very good and fast team, and they fought very hard. We made some mistakes in the first half, but were more focused and relaxed after the break," said Spain's left back Alexandrina Cabral Barbosa. 

Japan continued to fight, as Natsuki Aizawa's two 7m shots somewhat reduced the gap, but Spain held their nerve to celebrate a two-goal win.

On Friday, 'Las Guerreras' will need just one point against Croatia to mathematically secure their quarter-final berth, while Japan will face Austria on the same day. 

hummel Player of the Match: Martine Echeverria, Spain

Photo: RFEBM / J. L. Recio