The fact that there are so many European teams getting into quarters says a lot about what having good Women's leagues can do for the Women's game. ex. Italy was pretty much a joke before really putting money and effort into their women's league and now they are very much in the conversation for the Cup. BTW: 1-0 Netherlands. Japan had a chance shortly afterward but the shot was not placed on goal.
If you are talking about the shot off the post then luck had nothing to with it. She missed the goal and therefore it was a failure of skill.
Luck had a lot to do with it. Maybe she placed her standing foot on a less firm patch of grass and was therefore unable to hit the ball at the correct angle to produce the right amount of curve to sneak the ball just inside the post. But this is an interesting point you brought up. It seems you have a binary, either in or out way of looking at football. Nothing wrong with that. Most people who grow up playing and watching football accept that luck plays a big role in the game.
I disagree! She was under great pressure from two defenders. Had she been alone it would have been goal. Great defending, not bad attacking.
The fact that neither defender did not touch the ball, nor the Japanese attacker does not change the other fact that she knew that they were going at her, so she didn't have any time for correct shot. Managing to shoot in the first place is success in this situation.
The Dutch doing the same as England and playing diagonal balls down the sides and doubling up offensively down the wings. Really hurting Japan at times. Their system seems to rigid when they don’t have the ball.
Or maybe just sub in one or two of the better ones they are leaving on the bench. Sending more forward will leave them weaker at the back and they cannot afford to get any weaker there.
This is a really fun game to watch as a neutral. The openness of the game, the slick Japanese passing, the thunderous Dutch attack, the fantastic contrast between solid orange and solid blue uniforms, and the two beautiful goals. I'm really enjoying this.