World Cup, Day 12 Analysis

Olympic champions Canada are going home as Australia survive. Nigeria join them in the second round, while Spain get a reality check at the hands of impressive Japan...

Spain head coach Jorge Vilda now has to pick up his Spain team after a 4-0 defeat to Japan. Image: FIFA

Japan make their biggest statement yet

As we approach the final few group stage games, we are starting to get a clearer picture of who may and may not be genuine contenders to lift the World Cup trophy.

Spain and Japan breezed through their first two games, so facing each other was a true test of who really does look the part for two sides well fancied to go far in this tournament.

And what a statement it was Japan made. They sat back, stayed in their shape, and were devastating on the counter attack. They only entered Spain's final third three times in the first half, for a combined time of 27 seconds, yet scored three goals to lead 3-0 at the break.

Spain had no answer, and fell to a fourth goal in similar fashion in a second half where they couldn't breakdown the Japan wall. I'll come onto Spain, but this is about Japan.

Japan completed nowhere near the passes of Spain in the first half, but led 3-0, via OPTA

They had a game plan, and what's been impressive about Futoshi Ikeda in this tournament is he has adapted in every game. Mina Tanaka, Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino weren't simply rested, this was a carefully curated plan to tweak the system, sit in a 3-5-2 off the ball and use Hinata Miyazawa and Hikaru Naomoto, two of their WE-League talents, on the break behind Riko Ueki, and it worked to devastating effect.

Off the ball, Ueki was left up top on her own as Miyazawa and Naomoto dropped in to suffocate Spain's midfield on the ball, and both were ready to break forward to support Ueki with Spain's midfield and full-backs pushed high up the field.

In all three games, whether they've had all the ball or none of it, Japan has looked absolutely able to adapt to whatever is put in front of them. Norway will provide another different test, but they look a team who knows exactly what is expected of them right now.

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Spain fall into the same traps

And I - and many others - fell into the belief this time it might be different. It might still be, but this was a reality check. Spain were class in attack and midfield as they cut through both Costa Rica and Zambia in devastating fashion, but this was what was lingering in the backs of many people's minds.

Against a team with a plan, happy to sit back and counter, Spain had no answer. Jorge Vilda's side had 77% possession, completed 842 passes (to Japan's 174) and had 53 dangerous attacks (to Japan's 7) yet lost 4-0 and finished second in Group C.

Japan's 23% possession is the second lowest for a team who won a game in World Cup history - men's or women's - only behind...yes, you guessed it...Spain vs Japan in Qatar last year. Deja vu and all that.

Spain didn't really tweak their system except resting the injured Ivana Andres. They did nothing to adapt to what was in front of them, and for all their possession and attacks in the final third, Ayaka Yamashita in the Japan goal was rarely tested, with Spain managing just two shots on target all game.

Despite their dominance, Spain managed just two shots on target, via OPTA

Jenni Hermoso up front was frustrated and isolated, while Mariona Caldentey and Salma Paralluelo couldn't get in the game, the latter certainly cutting a frustrated figure after Japan constantly kept nicking the ball back.

Even the brilliant Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí could do little and regularly gave the ball away with Japan piling pressure on in midfield and little outlet in front of either of them except a sea of Blue shirts.

It could have worked out worse, with Switzerland awaiting them in the next round, but finishing second could potentially mean a match-up with the USA in the quarter-finals, although they may not be quite as defensive against Spain as Japan were given their attacking mindset.