Japan beat Norway 3-1 with Hinata Miyazawa scoring to become the leading goal scorer in the tournament; Spain thumped Switzerland 5-1.
Japan’s surprise title charge at the Fifa Women’s World Cup gathered pace with a clinical 3-1 win over Norway to reach the last eight while Spain thrashed Switzerland 5-1 on Saturday.
The 2011 champions Japan will face either holders the United States or Sweden in the quarter-finals and on this evidence they will take some stopping.
They have won all four games in Australia and New Zealand – including a 4-0 thumping of Spain – scoring 14 times and conceding only once.
Hinata Miyazawa is also quickly becoming one of the breakout stars of a World Cup which has been full of shocks.
The 23-year-old got the third nine minutes from time to seal Norway’s fate in front of 33,000 in Wellington. She is now the tournament’s top scorer.
The teams went to the break level at 1-1, but Japan turned the screw on Norway in the second half through goals by Risa Shimizu and Miyazawa.
