Source: Jiji Press
Japan qualified for the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time in a row on Wednesday, after defeating Costa Rica 2-0.
Japan, ranked 11th, scored twice in the first half of the match against Costa Rica, ranked 36th.
Japan, the runner-up in 2015, achieved its best scoring record in the group stage of the Women’s World Cup.
Hikaru Naomoto, making her World Cup debut as a substitute, scored the first goal, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino scored the second shortly afterwards, becoming the first Japanese teenage player to score at a World Cup.