COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 9, 2024) – The Brazil Women’s National Team took third at the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, with a 3-0 penalty kick shootout victory against Japan in the Third-Place Match following a 1-1 draw in regulation. After Mina Tanaka gave Japan the lead in the first half, Brazil’s Cristiane netted the equalizer in the 71st and goalkeeper Lorena stood tall in the shootout, stopping all three of Japan’s attempts to boost the Seleção to its third podium finish in four SheBelieves Cup appearances.
It was a tightly contested affair from the start of the Third-Place Match after both sides narrowly dropped their semifinal matches with Japan falling 2-1 to a comeback effort from the United States and Brazil losing 4-2 on penalties after Canada equalized midway through the second half of Saturday’s semifinal in Atlanta.
While Brazil had an early look on goal with a header from Tamires in the 20th minute, Japan scored the opening goal late in the first half. Combining well to escape some Brazilian pressure in the middle of the pitch, Yui Hasegawa played to Maika Hamano on the right wing. She played a bouncing cross in to the six-yard box and when Brazil couldn’t clear the ball, it fell to Tanaka. She controlled it and rifled home the shot from close range past Lorena to put Japan up 1-0.
In the second half, Brazil came out pushing hard for an equalizer. There was potential for a penalty kick in the 54th as Cristiane got tied up with Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita on a run into the box. Cristiane was then whistled for a penalty a few minutes later, taking down a Japanese player at the top of the box after a set piece. Tanaka stepped up to take it, but after a long wait behind the ball, Lorena guessed right and saved it with a dive to her right, foreshadowing what was to come in the shootout.
Buoyed by the penalty save, Brazil continued to push for the equalizer, which finally came in the 71st on a redemptive header for Cristiane. On a set piece, Brazil served it into the forward at the corner of the six-yard box and Cristiane headed it home from close range for the game-tying goal. Things opened up in the last 15 minutes of play, with both teams trading breakaways and good looks at goal, but neither was able to find a winner in regulation.
In penalties, while goalkeeper Lorena’s was turning away three Japanese shots, Cristiane, Tarciane and Angelina all converted their attempts.
Match: Japan Women’s National Team vs. Brazil Women’s National Team
Date: April 9, 2024
Competition: 2024 SheBelieves Cup – Third-Place Match
Venue: Lower.com Field; Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 12,001
Kickoff: 4:07 p.m. ET
Weather: 65, cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
JPN 1 0 1
BRA 0 1 1
JPN – Mina Tanaka (Maika Hamano) 35th minute
BRA – Cristiane (Yasmine) 71
Penalty Summary:
JPN: Kiko Seike (Saved), Fuka Nagano (Saved), Yui Hasegawa (Saved)
BRA : Cristiane (Goal), Tarciane (Goal) Angelina (Goal)
Lineups:
JPN: 1-Ayaka Yamashita; 2-Risa Shimizu (Capt.) (17-Kiko Seike, 86), 20-Toko Koga, 3-Moeka Minami, 12-Rion Ishikawa; 15-Aoba Fujino, 16-Honoka Hayashi (10-Fuka Nagano, 86), 14-Yui Hasegawa, 13-Hikaru Kitagawa (5-Miyabi Moriya, 78); 22-Maika Hamano (8-Mami Ueno, 46), 11-Mina Tanak (7-Hinata Miyazawa, 78)
Substitutions Not Used: 18-Chika Hirao, 21-Shu Ohba, 4-Saki Kumagai, 6-Hina Sugita, 9-Riko Ueki, 19-Momoko Tanikawa
Head coach: Futoshi Ikeda
BRA: 1-Lorena, 14-Lauren (2-Antonia, 69), 3-Tarciane, 13-Fê Palermo (4-Thais Ferreira, 69); 5-Julia (23-Lais Estevam, 85), 8-Angelina, 6-Tamires (16-Yasmim, 67); 17-Jaqueline (7-Ludmila, 85), 11-Cristiane, 10-Marta (Capt.), 19-Priscila (18-Gabi Portilho, 69)
Substitutions Not Used: 12-Tai Borges, 22-Barbieri, 9-Jheniffer, 15-Yaya, 20-Duda, 21-Ana Vitória,
Head coach: Arthur Elias
Stats Summary: JPN / BRA
Shots: 15 / 8
Shots on Goal: 4 / 2
Saves: 1 / 0
Corner Kicks: 8 / 3
Fouls: 18/11
Offside: 3 / 3
Misconduct Summary:
BRA – Fê Palermo (Caution) 8th minute
BRA – Lauren (Caution) 25
JPN – Toko Koga (Caution) 77
Officials:
Referee: Danielle Chesky (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Jennifer Garner (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Meghan Mullen (USA)
4th Official: Katja Koroleva (USA)