BY Victor Akhidenor
Japan set-up a rematch of the 2011 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the USA after a last-gasp 2-1 win over England at Edmonton broke the heart of the brave Lionesses.
An unfortunate injury-time own goal from Laura Bassett separated the two sides in a keenly contested match.
England gave as good as they got throughout the entire match with the two teams sharing first-half penalties.
Aya Miyama converted a 33rd-minute penalty after Saori Ariyoshi was brought down in the box by Claire Rafferty.
England equalised within seven minutes also from the spot, in a sequence similar to that in Tuesday’s first semi-final between USA and Germany.
Yuki Ogimi was adjudged to have brought down Steph Houghton and Fara Williams crashed home from the spot.
The second half continued in the same tempo with chances at both ends of the pitch.
With the match seemed destined for 30 extra minutes, Bassett diverted a rare Japanese cross over Karen Bardsley’s head, the ball hitting the crossbar and bouncing over the line.
There was barely time for England to respond and Bassett burst into tears at the final whistle as her team-mates sunk to the turf – thinking what might have been.
Japan will meet USA in Sunday’s final in Vancouver hoping to repeat the feat of last four years when they surprised the Yankees in Germany.
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