Kelly Smith scores her first goal despite the best efforts of Japan midfielder Ayumi Hara
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Kelly strikes in vain
Women’s World Cup: Group Stage
Japan 2, England 2
ENGLAND’S Arsenal contingent have been marked out as the players to watch by 2003 World Cup winning German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer.
The Three Lions take on Germany in their second World Cup group game in the Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai on Friday and Angerer is wary of the threat the Gunner Girls could pose to the cup-holders’ march towards the quarter finals.
She told the New Journal: “England have a lot of Arsenal players and they know each other well. We will not underestimate them, Kelly Smith is a big star and there’s Rachel Yankey of course.”
Smith’s star rose even higher on Tuesday night when she scored two fine individual goals 10 minutes from time to pull England back into their opening World Cup game against Japan.
Aya Miyama had scored from a free kick just after a goalless first half, which England had dominated. But Hope Powell’s side refused to give up and Smith led the comeback with two goals in two minutes.
The Arsenal player – one of nine in the England squad – collected the ball with her back to goal, turned the defender and slotted into the back of the net, sparking a bizarre goal celebration which saw her kiss her left boot.
Both boots got a smacker off the 28-year-old moments later when she fleeced the Japan defence to unleash a shot which the keeper parried, but only as far as Smith who poked the ball home, this time with her right foot.
She said afterwards: “I was mentally preparing last night and got the idea that if I scored I would do that, I’ve just had my name put on my boots and that means a lot to me.“
Smith and her colleagues’ joy was shortlived however as Miyama produced a identical free kick to equalise in the last second of the game.
England now face Germany, who battered Argentina 11-0 in the opening match on Monday. But despite their disappointment at two points dropped, England remain buoyed by their performance. Manager Hope Powell said: “We are still very much in it.”
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