Wednesday’s Women’s World Cup semifinal: Japan vs. England
Japan’s Mana Iwabuchi kicks the ball during a quarterfinal match against Australia on June 27 in Edmonton, Canada.
JAPAN VS. ENGLAND
Where: Edmonton. Time: 4 p.m. PDT. TV: FS1, NBC Universo.
The buzz: England is in the semifinals for the first time but it wasn’t exactly impressive getting there, with all four of its wins coming by 2-1 scores. In its last victory, over Canada, the team lost starting goalkeeper Karen Bardsley when her right eye began to swell, the result of an apparent allergic reaction. The former Cal State Fullerton star from Santa Monica is expected to start Wednesday. Meanwhile, Japan, the defending World Cup champion, is the tournament’s only unbeaten, untied team and it too has won every game by a single goal, three by 1-0 and two by 2-1. It has played a true team game, with all seven of its goals coming from a different player. In goal it has gone with a three-woman rotation, although Ayumi Kaihori has started both games in the knockout stage.
