What is Spain’s Women’s team’s H2H record against Japan?

Only a win or a draw will do for Jorge Vilda’s Spain side as the group stage reaches its conclusion this week. La Roja have enjoyed a flawless campaign so far, with comprehensive wins against Costa Rica and Zambia - they have also yet to concede a goal at the Women’s World Cup. They top Group C, level on points with Japan, who they face in Wellington on Monday. The Nadeshiko, champions in 2011 and runners-up in 2015, will undoubtedly prove the toughest test that Spain have encountered so far at the tournament - this will be the fifth time they have been at senior level and the third in official competition.

The first time Spain and Japan crossed paths was in Portugal, during the 2017 Algarve Cup (a tournament which incidentally, spawned Spain’s mantra, the hashtag #JugarLucharYGanar (#PlayFightWin). They met at the group stage - Silvia Meseguer and Olga García fired Spain ahead with second half strikes with Kumi Yokoyama replying in the dying minutes. Spain went on to lift the trophy, beating Canada in the final.

A couple of years later, the RFEF and JFA arranged a friendly in Paris as part of their warm-up preparations for the 2019 World Cup in France. Jenni Hermoso put Spain ahead from the spot on 22 minutes and Yuika Sugasawa levelled it up with five minutes of regulation time left as it ended all square on the whistle.

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The third meeting came just days before the whole world was rocked by the coronavirus pandemic. Spain were making their debut appearance in the SheBelieves Cup, Japan, their second. Alexia Putellas gave Spain an early lead in Orlando but Japan were back on level terms heading in at the break, in spectacular style, through Mana Iwabuchi. Lucía García put the game to bed with a brace in the second half but neither team progressed any further - both losing to England and hosts, the United States in the subsequent matches.

The most recent encounter was a friendly at La Cartuja in Seville in November 2020. Alba Redondo’s eighth-minute strike was all that separated the two teams on 90 minutes in a game which served Jorge Vilda the chance to hand several players their senior debut.