VS Denmark

A World Cup notable for its lack of free-kick wonder goals was suddenly lit up by two absolute belters as the lads from the Land of the Rising Sun reached the last 16.

Midfielder Keisuke Honda bent a 30-yard free-kick past Denmark's Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen with 17 minutes gone.

And, 13 minutes later, team-mate Yasuhito Endo fired past Sorensen's outstretched hand.

Takeshi Okada's side had to survive a late scare as Jon Dahl Tomasson tapped in a rebound after Eiji Kawashima saved the Dane's penalty.

But sub Shinji Okazaki's 88th-minute strike clinched second place in Group E.

And boss Okada insists his side have their eyes firmly on still being in the World Cup after Tuesday's second-round clash with Paraguay.

He said: "We haven't achieved our final goal yet. We still have to go forward, starting against Paraguay.

"Tonight, we will enjoy this but then we must step up and renew our efforts towards our subsequent challenges.

"Our players were very courageous and not cowardly at all.

"Our team has a strength that others do not have - we are truly united as a single team and we wanted to demonstrate football is a team sport."

The Japanese reached the knockout round for only the second time after going through as co-hosts in 2002.

Honda's blistering shot went over the Danish wall and swerved into the far corner of the net as Sorensen dived too late.

And Endo's free-kick from directly in front of the Danish goal curled around the wall and into the corner of the net.

要約　ワールドカップグループステージ第三節対デンマーク戦日本は前半17分に本田が30メートルのフリーキックを決めて先制。30分には遠藤がフリーキックを決めて２－０とするが後半にトマソンが川島が止めたPKのこぼれ球を押し込み２－１とするが88分に途中出場の岡崎がゴールを決めて３－１とし、日本が勝利した。この結果２００２年以来の決勝トーナメント進出を決めた。


感想　二本のフリーキックは共に種類の違うフリーキックだったがとても素晴らしいと感じた。この勝利が二本に感動と勇気を与えた。

word
swerve それる