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Summary Japan beat Brazil 2-0 to earn a place in the semifinals of the women's Olympic soccer competition.
Yuki Ogimi scored a goal and then set up another to give world champion Japan a 2-0 victory over Brazil on Friday and a place in the semifinals of the womens Olympic soccer competition.Japan will play France, which beat Sweden 2-1 earlier Friday in another quarterfinal, on Monday.Ogimis goal came at 27 minutes after she ran onto a quickly taken free kick by Homare Sawa. In the second half, she beat a player, then made a long pass to Shinobu Ohno, who chipped the ball over the Brazilian keeper.Brazil, which has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, settled quicker, its height and power causing problems for the Japanese.Captain Marta hit five corners in the first 10 minutes, the final one punched away one-handed by keeper Miho Fukumoto.Its best chance fell to Renata Costa, who fired over the bar from close range after a good cross by Rosana.Japan got back into the game after the 20-minute mark as Brazils defense failed to break down its quick-passing play, and made a few errors of its own.The goal came on 27 minutes after Fabiana fouled Nahomi Kawasumi just inside the Brazilian half.Brazil came closest to an equalizer on the hour mark: Christiane rose up between two defenders to a get a free header on goal, but her effort went over.As the South Americans pressed for a goal, the team left gaps in its half that Japan exploited for its second on 72 minutes. Ogimi picked up a ball kicked from defense on the halfway line, beat a Brazilian player before playing a long, looping pass to Ohno, who was in space in front of the penalty area.Ohno appeared at first to have taken one too many touches with the ball, but cut back inside to chip Andreia, the ball bouncing into the net off the underside of the bar.Brazil has finished second in the last two Olympics, losing to the U.S. both times in the gold-medal match.
