Celtic's relentless presser — defence starts with him.
The first line of Japan's press and a runner in behind, with World Cup goals already on his record.
Tournament Chronicle
A biography that grows match by match- 2026-06-25M036
The slide that put Japan ahead
Ten minutes after half-time, Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead. Reading Ritsu Doan's disguised through ball at the edge of the box, he slid in to finish from inside the area in the 56th minute. It was the reward for a relentless night: Maeda had already headed the best chance of the first half over the bar in the 22nd minute, and his running, interceptions and link play ran through everything Japan did. Sweden equalised soon after, so the goal did not win the game, but it was the moment a controlled draw started to look like qualification.
