Japan and Sweden secured their places in the World Cup knockout rounds after playing out a 1-1 draw in their final Group F match.

Softfootball understands that a draw was enough for both teams to progress, and a cautious first half reflected the importance of the result. However, the game came alive after the break as both sides pushed forward.

Japan took the lead 10 minutes into the second half through Daizen Maeda, who finished a well-worked team move after excellent build-up play around the Sweden penalty area.

Sweden responded quickly, with Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga producing a moment of quality seven minutes later. The forward cut inside and curled a brilliant left-footed strike into the net to level the match, securing Sweden’s place in the knockout rounds.

The result was a positive response for Sweden after their heavy 5-1 defeat against Netherlands earlier in the tournament. Graham Potter’s side improved as the match progressed and came close to winning it late on.

Alexander Isak nearly completed a comeback when his low effort was denied by Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, while Suzuki also stopped Elanga in stoppage time. Isak then hit the crossbar from the resulting corner as Sweden continued to threaten.

Japan finished second in Group F, while Sweden advanced as one of the best third-placed teams. Both teams now move into the Round of 32.

Player Ratings

Japan

Player	Rating
Zion Suzuki	5.5
Ayumu Seko	6.5
Ko Itakura	6.0
Hiroki Ito	6.5
Yukinari Sugawara	7.0
Ao Tanaka	6.5
Daichi Kamada	7.0
Keito Nakamura	7.0
Ritsu Doan	7.5
Daizen Maeda	8.0
Ayase Ueda	6.0

Sweden

Player	Rating
Jacob Widell Zetterström	6.5
Gustaf Lagerbielke	7.0
Isak Hien	6.5
Gabriel Gudmundsson	7.0
Alexander Bernhardsson	6.0
Victor Nilsson Lindelöf	6.0
Yasin Ayari	6.5
Elliot Stroud	6.5
Anthony Elanga	8.0
Viktor Gyökeres	7.0
Alexander Isak	6.0

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Match Statistics

Statistic	Japan	Sweden
Possession	52%	48%
Attempts	8	10
On Target	3	5
Corners	2	8
Offsides	3	2
Yellow Cards	1	2
Passes	379	313