Four years ago, 11 Japanese women made history, halting all of the horrid memories of the tsunamis in their homeland as they raised their first ever World Cup title.
Japan still isn't the favored side to win this championship once again, but just the fact that it is favored over England to reach the finale for a second straight tournament is remarkable.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Clearly, there is a lot of confidence here in the Samurai Blue. Japan is favored by a +113 margin, making it a de facto tossup as to whether it wins this match in 90 minutes or goes to extra time or loses. England is +0.5 (-133) on the Asian Handicap, but if you think that the Three Lionesses are going to ultimately advance, you'll be able to get a +160 price.
The total in this match is a flat 2 with a -110 price coming in on both sides.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"This team has shown incredibly character and resilience throughout the tournament. These two (knockout) games have been about staying in games and getting result. It was pretty darn tense on the sideline." – England manager Mark Sampson on the progress of the Brits into the semifinal
RECENT FORM
Canada didn't have the best team in the World Cup, but it certainly had a tough team to knock out of the competition due to its home field advantage. England though, did what it had to do, scoring two goals in the opening quarter of an hour to silence the raucous crowd at BC Place Stadium.
That win came on the heels of a 2-1 win over Norway in the Round of 16. The Brits have now won four consecutive matches after losing their opener to France.
Japan hasn't had it easy, but it has taken care of business in both of the knockout rounds. Even this isn't the toughest road in the world to reach a final, especially in comparison to what the USA and Germany are about to go through on Tuesday against each other.
Wins are wins though, and beating the Netherlands and Australia in normal time to improve to a perfect 5-0-0 in this tournament is impressive.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
England's offense still worries us. As the Three Lionesses proved against England, any given moment can turn a game on its head. However, we weren't expecting Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze to score the biggest goals of this tournament for England.
The end result is going to be a very tactical match. Japan, when it was arguably overmatched in 2011, played a ton of low scoring games, and this tournament has followed the same script.
England's back four though, has been fantastic. Steph Houghton has won Woman of the Match twice already along the way here in Canada, including in the quarterfinal against the host nation.
Breaking through is going to be a huge chore for both sides, and we wouldn't be stunned if this one goes the distance scoreless for 120 minutes.
If that turns out to be the case, the British are at a real disadvantage. Not only is there a lot more tape of how their ladies are taking penalties, but the history of England soccer teams in shootouts isn't anywhere near good. Granted, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney aren't going to be the ones on the spot, but we can definitely see the pressure of having the weight of the nation on their shoulders being just a little too much.
Japan 0 (4) – England 0 (2) (Japan Advances on Penalties)
BookMaker has live Women's World Cup odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on Japan of +113 and a total of 2 (over -110) right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Japan and England will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
