Japan seized their last opportunity to progress to the knockout stage thanks to their 5-1 victory over Norway, and now, they should be worrying about their quarterfinal opponent - host China at the Olympic women's soccer tournament.
Japan had a difficult way to progress. They drew New Zealand 2-2 in their opener and lost to the United States 1-0 in the second match. Only beating Norway with big scores could they edge DPR Korea with goal differences, and step out as the best two of the three third-placed teams into the last eight.
China had a much easier through, beating Sweden 2-1 in their opening match, drawing Canada 1-1 and upsetting Argentina 2-0 in the final group match. It was the undisputable top team in Group E.
The unbeaten records in the group stage, coupled with the most recent 3-1 victory over Japan in June's Asian Women's World Cup, should give the Steel Roses much more confidence. They are now looking forward to beating Japan.
Chinese attacking duo, Han Duan and Xu Yuan, are in pretty good forms. Both scored two goals in the first three matches, giving the home crowds much cheering.
"I am very satisfied with Han and Xu," Chinese head coach Shang Ruihua said.
Yet the Chinese must conquer their own weakness. In the previous three group matches, they already showed a weak mid-field, particularly when their energy worn down.
Japan could be the fastest in the world to pass balls, while China could rely on the speed and long passes to create more opportunities.
"Japan is quite a strong team. They have good team performance and techniques," Chinese ace striker Han Duan said. "It's going to be a good challenge, and we are ready for it."
Han is expected to create a lot of threats, but the Japanese already noticed her ability. "I'm deeply impressed by No. 9 player (Han) of China," Japanese head coach Norio Sasaki said.
"We have prepared very well for the match against China in the next round. For the friendship of the two countries, we will show our best to the spectators of China as the host country," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)