Icon SMIBefore the quarterfinals, Japanese coach Norio Sasaki showed his team a slideshow of the devastation in Japan.FRANKFURT -- It's a tale of two teams, Sweden and Japan, and two different approaches.
The Swedes believed, coming into the FIFA Women's World Cup, that they could be one of the teams to beat. There was a good feel to their team chemistry, as they truly enjoy playing soccer together.
The Japanese also had a belief, but it was quiet at the start. They have gone through a chaotic spring and summer with the disasters wrought by the massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11 and ensuing nuclear accidents.
The Japanese decided to give their World Cup efforts special meaning, dedicating them to help uplift their country.
Japan and Sweden have taken two very different paths, both reaching the same point: the semifinals of the World Cup in Frankfurt. The two will play on Wednesday with the winner taking on the victor of the U.S./France semifinal in Sunday's final in Frankfurt.
"[The win] will go to the one who wants more to go the finals and really wants to do it for 90 minutes -- or longer," Japanese coach Norio Sasaki said through a translator Tuesday. "It's mental now; it's believing in it."
Sasaki tried to reinforce his team's mental strength before its quarterfinal against Germany, showing a slideshow of the devastation in Japan.
It was a powerful, emotional heartstring to pull, and he did it to give Japan courage to believe it could defeat Germany, on German soil. And Japan did, winning 1-0 in extra time.
"[Beating Germany] is the biggest result of the Japanese team in history," Japanese captain Homare Sawa said. "This is a very important match. It feels like as a player, we cannot do very much for Japan, but we can at least try and play as hard as we can."
Sasaki is not going to go back to those heartbreaking scenes, feeling his players are well-focused on playing their best.
"It's not only about the slides, it starts with the banner we show each match to the people, thanking FIFA and the whole world for their solidarity and helping Japan in its worst hours," Sasaki said. "The players are deeply impressed and feel connected in their hearts. They are doing their best to be well-prepared and give back to what has been given to Japan."
The Swedes understand they cannot come from the same emotional place as Japan, but they, too, have very personal reasons for wanting to win. Sweden has not been in the World Cup final since 2003, when it finished second to Germany.
"We are here because we want to go as far as possible, our goal was to make it to the quarterfinals, and now we are here in the semifinals," said Sweden captain Caroline Seger. "Really, Sweden has not had success since 2003, and we want to bring our team to the next level again. We are here to play well, have fun and enjoy this experience."
Sasaki and midfielder Aya Miyama playfully joked about the clear height difference between their team and Sweden's. The Japanese stand, on average, 5-foot-4. The Swedes average 5-foot-8.
The two teams played in a test match in Bochum in the days before the World Cup started. Lessons were learned, particularly on the Japanese side.
"We learned that the Japanese are small players, and that the Swedes are tall players," Sasaki said, while dramatically using hand gestures to demonstrate the heights. "That affects the spacing and defense, so hopefully, the players learned those lessons, too."
Sasaki looked over at Miyama, who was sitting to his right, for confirmation.
She smiled and said, "We learned our lesson. … The Swedish players are big, they have very long legs. In a one-on-one situation, their legs can reach out, and you have to be careful of those long legs. It is a problem."
The Swedes, who were also playful with the press, were not buying into the height differential mattering that much.
"What I know is, the ball needs to be on the ground no matter how tall you are," Swedish coach Thomas Dennerby said. "[Lionel] Messi, [Diego] Maradona, they weren't so tall. It's not the important thing when playing football. It's not basketball."
In the end, both teams agree, it all could come down to heart.
"Will this team not be satisfied with beating Germany?" Sasaki asked. "We will see if it [Japan's drive] gets us to the top. It is important we go for that."
