TOKYO: Japan won the World Cup in 2011 playing a free-flowing style that made them the envy of women’s football, but they have fallen behind since then, sparking accusations of mismanagement and neglect.
Japan used their slick attacking game to beat the United States in the final 12 years ago and went on to finish runners-up at the 2012 Olympics and 2015 World Cup.
But they failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games and have since struggled to haul themselves back among the top contenders in women’s football.
Japan begin…
