09' 1-0 Cameroon to arc top box right, cross bounces over 6-left foot. Cameroon's offense looks better than USA's already 11' 1-0 Japan send various passes to box top, Cameroon deal with them competently. 12' 1-0 Japan chip to 5m 5-left, bounces to Ngo Ndom just ahead of a runner. Sasaki longball
14' 1-0 Cameroon longball from circle right to a 2-v-2, they win the footrace at 24m -- Kaihori came out to 7m, saw she had no chance to get to box top, retreats to goalline. #9 Ngono Mani(?) dribbles to 4m mid-right, shot/cross over mouth, bounces along 3m left. #7 Onguene collects in left corner, crosses to left post, Kaihori catches. Well -- Japan may have some trouble with that speed -- 17' 2-0 Utsugi(?) holds up at 19m box left, passes through 2 to Miyama unmarked at 14m wide left. Miyama bends a cross to 2m 2-right, Ngo Ndom misses, #15 Yuika Sugasawa jumps perfectly and nods a towering header down into back left.
19' 2-0 Enganamouit chases to 20m box right, #4 Kumagai interposes body. Enganamouit grabs her arms from behind, squeezes and leans, Kumagai goes splat under that much power. Foul, Enganamouit protests. 20' 2-0 Feudjio long switch from circle left to 25m right touch, too far.
21' 2-0 Kawasumi slides to backpass, #20 Ngo Mbeleck lunges late and ... steps on her inside left adductor. 22' 2-0 Cameroon run onto a ball at circle left, one-touch longball drops perfectly into Enganamouit's stride as she is way faster than the CBs. Enganamouit dribbles to 3m 6-right, right instep shot blocked or kicked by Kaihori, away through box right. 24' 2-0 Miyama receives with a cw-spin at circle top tangent left, #10 Jeannette Yango Ngock clips her down. Foul, Yango is on a yellow so she must tread lightly upon Japanese legs.
25' 2-0 Enganamouit 1-v-2 down wide right, using strong left armbar to buy space. Crowd roars a crescendo as she bulls her way to 5m wide right, wins a corner. 26' 2-0 Cameroon right ck, Kaihori catches at 5m 1/3 left. Quick distribution, Japan counter through circle, fouled at circle top left touch. 27' 2-0 Japan fk, sailed to 6-top right post. Ngo Ndom comes through traffic, double-slaps it wide right as she sprawls.
Cameroon has had some chances! They're not sitting back, scared of the defending champions; I like it.
28' 2-0 Cameroon chip from wide left toward box top left, #7 Onguene backcuts Kinga from the inside, takes ball through box top mid-left. One juke left away from Iwashimizu(?), to 9m 6-left, shot/cross over mouth -- to 2m wide right, and it stops rolling for Utsugi(?) to collect.
33' 2-0 Cameroon chip to 15m arc right, Ngono Mani scuffs it. Onguene takes it down mid-right to 2m, 1-v-2 but poked over for a corner! 33' 2-0 Cameroon right ck, Onguene swings it to 2m 6-left, soft header to Kaihori at left post.
Is there some neon fad going around? The Japanese look like highlighters. I like their blue and pink kits better.
34' 2-0 Japan pass up left touch to #5 Sameshima. She does a dropstep up left touch, tripped late. She's not intimidated by Cameroon's prowess, either, still doing what she wants to do. 35' 2-0 Japan fk at 27m left touch. High chip from 25m mid-left to 2m 3-right, Ngo Ndom collects with 3 lurking in the box. 35' 2-0 Cameroon pass up wide left for Onguene -- pause, then offside given.
38' 2-0 Utsugi quick left throw-in down left touch, Sameshima stops it at 4m. She tries a slightly arrogant tap-and-swim, RB #12 Claudine Meffometou Tcheno knew that and stops it perfectly: spins to box out, holds Sameshima off ball, then passes to Bou Ndjouh.
41' 2-0 Japan underhit a pass up wide left to 20m. Sameshima tries to fight inward, but Cameroon displays cool and precise triangle ping in the back. 41' 2-0 Ngono Mani holds at arc top, snaps a pass to Enganamouit at 18m mid-right. Enganamouit drives 1-v-3, loses it, wrestles it back at 12m mid-right. Pulls a roundhouse shot but scuffs it -- to Ngono Mani lurking onside at 7m center! Volley -- wide right?! Ngono Mani pounds the turf, as do we all. 43' 2-0 #20 Genevieve Ngo Mbeleck pulls down Utsugi(?) by her sleeve, hops over her legs and -- foul, yellow card on Ngo Mbeleck.
45' 2-0 Cameroon fk at arc top wide right, to 6-top center, Japan heads it out. 2nd shot through the wall, medium power rolls wide right low. HT 2-0.
46' 2-0 Cameroon subs in (1 of 3) #6 Francine Zouga Zouga Edoa for CAM #20 Genevieve Ngo Mbeleck. 48' 2-0 Enganamouit slides shooting, ball trickles almost perfectly to Ngono Mani at arc top. She tries to round Kumagai(?) to the right, perfect slide-poke to Miyama wide left. Miyama gives a "come back" hand signal, passes to circle top left for Ogimi coming back. #10 Yango arrives inside-out, thigh clips Ogimi's left calf into a tumble. They get up smiling, quick hug -- please no 2nd yellow 49' 2-0 Japan fk, taken quickly -- to Kawasumi 1-v-1 at 5m mid-right, but too far.
50' 2-0 Cameroon chip to box top arc left, Iwashimizu jumps behind Ngono Mani and -- heads her in the back of the skull? Ngono Mani stays down momentarily. 51' 2-0 Cameroon pass through 6-top right, one of the CBs slides to own endline and deflects ball over, just in front of Ngono Mani. 52' 2-0 Ngono Mani runs through box top mid-right and pokes ball down box right, chases it 1-v-2. Aggressive flick behind the 2, she chases to 2m mid-right as Kaihori charges out and smothers it.
55' 2-0 Japan subs in (1 of 3) #11 Shinobu Ohno for #9 Nahomi Kawasumi. 56' 2-0 Ohno trapped 1-v-1 in deep right corner ... somehow spins ccw and escapes, cross from 2m to 4m 1/3 left -- Ngo Ndom catches high. 57' 2-0 Japan calmly pass around the back, Cameroon holding the line at circle top.
58' 2-0 Ohno slides and takes ball, #8 Feudjio runs her ankles onto Ohno's studs. Stays down behind the play ... resumes. 60' 2-0 #6 Zouga shoots from arc top left, wide left and just high. 61' 2-0 Miyama(?) serves from 27m box left to arc top right, Sugasawa called offside. Replay shows even, she timed it perfectly and was duly punished 62' 2-0 Cameroon subs in (2 of 3) #3 Ajara Nchout for #9 Madeleine Ngono Mani.
64' 2-0 Japan subs in (2 of 3) #10 Homare Sawa for #6 Mizuho Sakaguchi. Sawa's 20th WWC cap 65' 2-0 Cameroon break to 22m box right, switch to arc top mid-left. Centered, 1-v-4, shot blocked by shins. 66' 2-0 Japan float a cross from the left to box top center, Sugasawa(?) backing in -- Ngo Ndom slaps it away at 16m, chases it to arc tangent left, foot-passes up wide left.
71' 2-0 Cameroon fk at box top wide right, Onguene sends it to 7m right post, flicked into a defensive header. Nchout shoots from 10m 6-left, blocked by the scrum. Rebound sits, Nchout shoots again -- blocked by scrum, squirts through to 7m center. Enganamouit slide-poke, blocked, swept out to 10m mid-right. Onguene shoots right roundhouse, rocket shot just wide right 1/2 high. I want some of what Japan feeds their back line. 72' 2-0 Cameroon subs in (3 of 3) #5 Augustine Ejangue Siliki for #7 Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene.