Hinata Miyazawa scored her fifth goal of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday to seal a 3-1 win over Norway and put Japan into the quarter-finals against Sweden or holders the United States.
In a last-16 clash in Wellington between two former champions, an Ingrid Syrstad Engen own-goal gave Japan an early lead in front of 33,000.
Norway hit back with a brilliant Guro Reiten header to make it 1-1 at half-time.
The Norwegian defence buckled in the face of constant Japanese pressure when defender Risa Shimizu put her side back into the lead before Miyazawa struck again.
The 23-year-old is now the tournament’s top scorer.
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