LEVERKUSEN, Germany, July 1, (AFP): A hat-trick from skipper Homare Sawa and a first half Shinobu Ohno goal booked Japan a quarter-final berth at the women’s World Cup with a 4-0 win over Mexico on Friday.
It was a magnificent individual performance from Sawa, competing in her fifth World Cup, which stole the show as she lifted the Japanese to just their second quarter-finals after 1995.
The 32-year-old combined perfectly with fellow midfielder Aya Miyama to score two early goals after 13 and 39 minutes, adding her third on 80 minutes for a Japanese World Cup record. Ohno netted after 15 minutes.
Mexican coach Leonardo Cuellar admitted his side were shell-shocked.
The Japanese demolished Cuellar’s young side to achieve their second win in as many games after their 2-1 opening success against New Zealand.
With a maximum six points they are assured of one of the two group qualifying spots to advance to the final eight with one group game to go.
Nicknamed ‘the Nadeshiko’ — a pink flower symbolising grace and beauty — the Japanese showed their mettle as they overwhelmed Mexico from the outset.
Sawa, the country’s record 168-capped player, headed in after 13 minutes from a perfectly delivered Miyama freekick and two minutes later her INAC Leonessa teammate Ohno doubled their account from a Yuki Nagasto cross.
The Mexicans could find no answer to the attacking Japanese as Sawa continued the rout six minutes before the break when she rose above the melee in front of goal to head in a Miyama corner.
The Japanese thought they had a fourth just before the break but Yuki Nagasto’s effort was ruled offside.

After the break, Stephany Mayor’s long-range effort offered some hope to the Mexicans but it was saved with one hand by a diving Ayumi Kaihori.
Key striker Maribel Dominguez, who had been struggling with a calf injury, was replaced by defender Kenti Robles after 62 minutes as Cuellar tried to plug Mexico’s leaky defence.
But Sawa slammed home their superiority with her third when she fired in past diving 16-year-old keeper Cecilia Santiago following a Yukari Kinga cross on 80 minutes.
Three minutes later Norio Sasaki substituted the midfielder for Rumi Utsugi and a celebrating Sawa ran off the pitch to an ovation from the crowd 22,291 crowd.
The Japanese didn’t give up their search for a fifth goal with Nagasto and Miyama missing two last-gasp efforts.
It was a triumphant start to the tournament for Sasaki’s fourth-ranked Japanese who did now even know if they could compete in Germany after the earthquake and tsumani that devastated Japan in March.
After drawing their opening game against England 1-1, Mexico’s fate depends in part on the result of the second group game between England and New Zealand in Dresden later Friday.
In was the sixth victory for the Japanese in eight meetings with the Mexicans who fare badly against the Asians in the world tournament having lost the play-offs for the World Cup in 2003 and 2007 to Japan.
Japan’s final game will be against England in Augsburg on Tuesday, with Mexico playing New Zealand in Sinsheim.

England are on the verge of the quarter-finals at the women’s World Cup despite suffering a scare on Friday as they had to come from behind to secure a 2-1 win over New Zealand in Group B.
A first-half goal by Football Ferns’ forward Sarah Gregorius had put the New Zealanders into a shock lead and England needed more than an hour before equalising thanks to a header from Everton midfielder Jill Scott.
Super sub Jessica Clarke then scored the winner on 81 minutes after Scott drilled a ball into the box and the 22-year-old saved the Three Lions’ blushes by sweeping her shot into the roof of the net.
With four points, England are almost assured of a place in the quarter-finals, but they still face unbeaten group leaders Japan in Augsburg next Tuesday.
The Japanese earlier secured their passage into the last eight with a 4-0 win over Mexico.
New Zealand are now going home after their second defeat of the competition and are playing for pride against the Mexicans in Sinsheim on Tuesday, who still have a mathematical chance of going through, but need a goal-packed win.
England made a bright start in front of a crowd of 19,110, but there were a few nervous looks on their bench when experienced striker Kelly Smith injured her ankle in an early clash with New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny Bindon.

Despite limping off with barely eight minutes played, she recovered enough to re-take her place on the pitch, but her team were floored by the opening goal.
New Zealand forward Amber Hearn beat England captain Faye White on the far left and played the ball into the six-yard box as Gregorius squeezed between two defenders and stabbed the ball past Karen Bardsley after 18 minutes.
The 23-year-old could have made it 2-0 towards the end of the first half when she managed to get behind two England defenders with the ball at her feet, but failed to make her shot count.
England started the second half camped in the New Zealanders half and the sustained pressure paid off when defender Alex Scott curled in a cross which Scott headed over the out-stretched arms of Kiwi goalkeeper Bindon.
The 63rd minute goal spurned the Football Ferns into action and coach John Herdman threw on forward Rosie White, one of New Zealand’s rising stars, who squandered a great chance in front of goal with her first touch of the game.
But the Football Ferns’ brief dreams of a historic win were dashed after Lincoln’s Jessica Clarke came off the bench to break Kiwi hearts with the winner and there were plenty of tears from the losers at the final whistle.