A “terrific” second half in which Shelley Kerr’s Scotland scored what could yet be a vital goal and “finished strongly” was not enough as they slipped to a second World Cup defeat within five days of their first against England .
Japan, the winners eight years ago and runners-up in 2015, got over their jitters from the opening stalemate with Argentina to put in a composed performance and remind everyone of their class.
A team capable of brilliance, a team capable of complete disappointment. Sometimes it’s hard to know if that statement applies to Japan or Scotland, but as Japan have a World Cup to their name, let’s say it’s them.
If Japan have had one problem at tournaments it is a lack of ruthlessness, matches dominated but won with a slender advantage. However Scotland’s problem seems to be that they save their best football for friendlies and qualifying matches.
Under the might of Japan’s press, Scotland were restricted and contorted, left to look for answers where there were none. A technically proficient team, their opponents did not have to be stronger, just savvier as they were in 2011.
Japan’s manager, Asako Takakura, said there is still “room to improve”. This performance was marked better than their draw with Argentina simply because they had to step up. “We’ve learned how hard it is to win a match at a World Cup and our levels have come up,” she added.
“Scotland have moved beyond sitting behind the ball,” Kerr said. “I’m not a manager who parks the bus. We have a style and a philosophy.”
Trying to sit and defend did not work for Scotland, trying to launch an attack did not work for them either. The cogs were out of line, passes went astray. There was no shield for the backline and Japan turned the screw aplenty. Thirteen places behind the Japanese in the world rankings at kick-off, the gulf only seemed to widen with each first-half minute.
Japan’s first goal was a sweetly struck effort by Mana Iwabuchi from outside the box. Few players in the Scotland team could rival Iwabuchi for technical ability on a normal day and in France they looked hopelessly outclassed.
The second goal came from a penalty. There was no question Rachel Corsie’s hand ended up on Yuika Sugasawa’s shoulder but the touch was faint. Sugasawa went sprawling but she got up to score a firm penalty placed into Lee Alexander’s bottom corner.
At half-time it should have been more but the relief for Japan was, after being held scoreless by Argentina, that they were finally up and running. For Scotland it was deja vu; two goals down to a team ranked in the top 10 in the world, their own maiden World Cup a trial by fire.
It had taken 46 years for Scotland to reach a World Cup. There had been heartache and near-misses along the way, and the qualification campaign that led them to France was not without its humps and bumps, but there was always a subtle confidence.
Once on the biggest stage of all the Scots could show what they were made of, they could mix it with the best from around the globe. However, the reality is that whatever happens in qualification matters not a jot at the World Cup. They unravelled like a sweater caught on a nail, the tireless performances from Kim Little and Erin Cuthbert nowhere near enough.
The improvements made in the second half suggested there was far more in reserve than Scotland showed but they have not done nearly enough to suggest they would fare well in the knockout stages. They were lifted by Lana Clelland’s thunderbolt from 25 yards two minutes from time, but they could not add to it.
Asking Scotland “to be brave”, Kerr has been encouraged by their ability to fight back and run two leading teams close. “There aren’t many sides who could,” she said. The manager remains “immensely proud” of her team and knows that while they may be disconsolate for the next few hours, “psychologically they’re good, they’ll be ready to go again”.
Scotland will need to be. Nothing other than a win in their last group D match against the lowest-ranked team, Argentina, in Paris on Wednesday will do.
