Wales to face Japan in play-offs
WALES will play Pool B winners Japan, tomorrow (Tuesdsay),
in a play-off qualifying match for the quarter-finals here
at the World Championship.
Margaret Corbitt's team were beaten 18-3 by Australia, one
of the gold-medal favourites, this morning.
Gemma Morgan, Laura Warren and Kate Taylor all scored for
Wales, but Australia were always in control as they secured
first-place ahead of defending champions United States in
Pool A.
But despite having lost all of their four matches in Pool
A, Wales still have a chance to progress to the last 8 if
they can perform against Japan.
Japan have been impressive in Pool B, having maintained an
impressive four-game unbeaten run and scored 74 goals and
only conceded 10 against.
However, Wales defeated Japan at the recent Home Internationals
tournament in England, although Corbitt acknowledges that
Japan will be an all-together much more difficult proposition
this time around.
"Scotland beat Japan at the Home Internationals, but
Japan hammered Scotland 19-6 yesterday (Sunday)," said
Corbitt.
"They have improved and changed areas of their game,
so we know it's not going to be easy.
"If we can get past that game anything can happen. It
gets serious from here because you are playing sudden-death
lacrosse."
Indeed, but if Wales perform as Corbitt knows they can, the
head coach is confident her charges can beat the Japanese,
opponents who have impressed many on the opening four fays
of competition at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
"The important thing was to get everyone through this
match (Australia) without any injuries so we can pick from
a full-strength team for the Japan game," added Corbitt.
"We always knew the Aussies would run it hard becuase
they wanted to beat the United States on goal difference to
finish top of the table.
"We found it difficult to deal with their pace, something
which Japan have as one of their strengths.
"It's going to be a good game. They've clearly improved
from the Home Internationals we are going to have to grit
this one out.
"The standard in Pools is amazing, but Japan are a good
side and we cannot underestimate them."
WOMEN, Lacrosse World Championship (Annapolis, Maryland):
Australia 18 Wales 3 (half scores 11-3, 7-0); England 6 Wales
2 (half scores 2-1, 4-1); United States 7 Australia 7 (tie,
4-3, 3-4); Scotland 6 Japan 19 (2-13, 4-6); Germany 15 New
Zealand 1 (7-1, 8-0); England 4 Australia 15 (3-7, 1-8); Japan
26 New Zealand 1 (14-1, 12-0); United States 15 Canada 7 (5-2,
10-5); Scotland 14 Czech Republic 2 (7-1, 7-1); Australia
17 Canada 2 (9-0, 8-2); Wales 4 United States 11 (2-6, 2-5);
Czech Republic 21 New Zealand 6 (7-2, 14-4); Japan 17 Germany
2 (12, 5-2); England 5 United States 13 (3-9, 2-4); Scotland
19 Germany 3 (12-2, 7-1); Japan 12 Czech Republic 1 (3-1,
9-0); Wales 5 Canada 12 (3-4, 2-8).
TODAY, Fixtures, final pool matches (Monday 27th June) -
2pm: Scotland v New Zealand; 5pm: Germany v Czech Republic;
7.30pm: England v Canada.
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