Sweden fire on all cylinders to clinch big win over Japan

A big win to start the Olympic Qualification Tournament #1 was exactly what Sweden needed to build up their confidence and the Scandinavian side duly delivered, taking a clear 35:28 win over Japan, as they got closer to their fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games.

Olympic Qualification Tournament #1
Sweden vs Japan 35:28 (17:13)

It was always going to be a close battle between Sweden and Japan, at least for some part of the match, after the Asian side delivered one of the biggest shocks in the last decades at the IHF Women’s World Championship last December, when they beat Denmark in Herning.

This time around, the stakes were even higher, as Sweden needed a win here, in Debrecen, to throw off the Olympic Qualification Tournament #1 in style and get even closer to a ticket to Paris 2024, but Japan were no pushovers, especially for the first 20 minutes, where their sheer speed and talent were on display.

Sweden were by far the more experienced side and relied on keeping calm and using their depth to apply the needed pressure, but Japan were down only one goal, 10:9, after 15 minutes, with centre back Natsuki Aizawa expertly orchestrating the Asian side’s attack.

The first signs of Japan cracking under pressure came just a few minutes later, as the Asian side were at the receiving end of a 5:0 unanswered run, which prevented Japan to score for 10 minutes and four seconds, as Sweden’s defence was absolutely superb, forcing turnovers and forcing Japan to fight for their chances.

As goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen, who finished the match with 16 saves for a 36% saving efficiency, was nothing short of superb, Sweden opened a six-goal lead, 15:9, only for Japan to cut a bit into it with Aizawa scoring twice, to set up an entertaining second half.

Yet coach Tomas Axner had plenty of firepower on his bench for Sweden, with nine players scoring at least one goal in the match, led by left back Jenny Carlson, who had seven goals, followed closely by line player Linn Blohm and back Jamina Roberts with six goals each, as the three players combined for 19 goals.

The pace proved to be too much for Japan to follow, despite Sweden turning the ball over more (14 turnovers to Japan’s 12), but where the Asian lacked was in the goalkeeping department, with only eight saves for their goalkeepers, Sakura Kametani and Atsuko Baba.

As Sweden continued to pounce, the gap grew bigger and bigger, with the maximum being seven goals, 30:23, after 50 minutes. Japan did their best to cut into it once again, but Sweden proved too strong, controlling the match expertly to secure a crucial 35:28 win.

The Scandinavian side can get even closer to Paris 2024 on Friday, when they face Hungary in the biggest clash of the Olympic Qualification Tournament #1, while Japan face Great Britain, in a bid to restore their chances.

hummel Player of the Match: Jenny Carlson (Sweden)