Withstanding a late comeback attempt by Japan, Sweden clinches their fifth spot in the Women's World Cup semi-finals, triumphing 2-1 at Eden Park. Additionally, this result signifies a semi-final stage devoid of any former champions in the tournament. Just five days after ousting the four-time champions, the United States, in the previous round, the Swedes asserted their superiority over the 2011 champions during Friday evening. This impressive display now leads them to a semi-final showdown against Spain, which is set to take place on Tuesday at the same stadium.

Initiating the lead, Sweden saw defender Amanda Ilestedt secure her fourth goal of the tournament in the 32nd minute. Soon after the halftime interval, Filippa Angeldal widened the gap by converting a penalty. Despite Japan's unwavering endeavors, their struggle proved futile. In the 76th minute, Riko Ueki faltered on a penalty attempt, and Honoka Hayashi, brought in as a substitute, netted a goal 11 minutes afterward. Regrettably for Japan, these efforts were insufficient and belated, as Sweden successfully maintained their lead to secure the triumph.

Concluding their World Cup campaign, Japan amassed an impressive 15 goals, outscoring all other teams still competing. Hinata Miyazawa stood out by contributing five of these goals, propelling her to the forefront of the Golden Boot race. Her accomplishment mirrors the team record set by Homare Sawa during Japan's victorious title pursuit in 2011.

From the outset, the game demonstrated a clash of playing approaches: Sweden, ranked third, asserted their dominance with a robust physical approach, whereas Japan, positioned at eleventh, highlighted their commitment to technical finesse.

During the 25th minute, Stina Blackstenius skillfully evaded defender Saki Kumagai, positioning herself in a one-on-one encounter with Japan's goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita. Regrettably, her shot failed to find the mark. Subsequent to Ilestedt's goal, in the 42nd minute, Kosovare Asllani neared the possibility of extending the lead. However, her forceful attempt from the edge of the penalty area was expertly deflected by the diving Yamashita.

Angeldal's successful penalty appeared to disrupt the composure of the Japanese team, who encountered challenges dealing with the Swedes' greater physicality and athleticism. Only in the 63rd minute did Japan record their first shot on target. Despite Japan's previous pattern of scoring at least twice in each of their matches, they had never managed to recover from a two-goal disadvantage throughout their history in the World Cup.

During the latter moments of the match, the Japanese squad orchestrated a delayed resurgence, exerting notable pressure on Sweden's goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, who had garnered recognition for her remarkable 11-save performance in the win against the United States. In the 76th minute, Riko Ueki's penalty attempt for Japan hit the crossbar and deflected away from the goal. Nonetheless, Musovic's strong resolve was finally breached in the 86th minute when substitute Honoka Hayashi narrowed Sweden's lead to 2-1. Despite this development, Sweden demonstrated resilience amidst considerable stoppage-time pressure and successfully secured their progression.

In the course of the Tokyo Olympics, Sweden triumphed over Japan on their home ground during the quarter-finals. Despite advancing to the gold medal match, Sweden encountered a loss against Canada. It's worth highlighting that the Swedish team has not yet secured a championship title in either the World Cup or the Olympics.