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06/25 20:14 CDT Japan and Sweden play to 1-1 draw as both advance to knockout
round at the World Cup
Japan and Sweden play to 1-1 draw as both advance to knockout round at the
World Cup
By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) --- Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead and Anthony Elanga
took it away six minutes later, helping Sweden to a 1-1 draw Thursday night
that sent both teams to the knockout round of the World Cup.
Elanga's impressive left-footed strike from just outside the right corner of
the box in the 62nd minute was his second goal of this year's tournament.
Elanga has scored only three goals in 49 games for Newcastle, but zero in 32
Premier League matches.
Six minutes earlier, Maeda settled a nifty pass from Ritsu Doan with his left
foot in the penalty area and easily beat Jacob Widell Zetterstrom with his
right foot.
It was Japan's seventh goal of the tournament, the country's most for an entire
World Cup. That topped the six the Japanese scored while reaching the round of
16 in Russia eight years ago.
Japan is advancing out of the group stage for the third consecutive World Cup
and fifth time in seven tries since first reaching the round of 16 as co-hosts
in 2002. The Japanese team finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands
and will play Brazil in Houston on Monday.
The Swedes have advanced to the knockout round the past four times they've
qualified for the World Cup going back to 1994 --- when they reached the
semifinals the last time the U.S. hosted soccer's biggest event.
Elanga had another chance in injury time, with his right-footed attempted
forcing goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to make a diving deflection.
On the ensuing corner kick, Suzuki deflected Alexander Isak's header into the
air and eventually ended the scoring chance with a leaping grab in a crowd of
players.
___
See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
