Page 20 n THE ASIAN REPORTER ASIA / PACIFIC August 7, 2023 Japan beats Norway 3-1 to advance to Women’s World Cup quarterfinals SENSATIONAL SUPERMOON. The first of two supermoons in August graced the skies last week, this one behind a minaret of a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon. A supermoon is broadly defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth than normal. That makes it appear slightly brighter and bigger in the sky. The next supermoon will occur on the night of August 30. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) The first supermoon in August rose around the world By The Associated Press The first of two supermoons in August graced the skies last week. A supermoon is broadly defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth than normal. That makes it appear slightly brighter and bigger in the sky. The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project. “The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” Masi added. Retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise, says that with clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the viewing experience, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters. The next supermoon will occur on the night of August 30. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon. Tu Phan Branch Manager, NMLS #7916 Call about refinances & purchases Offering FHA/VA/Conventional Mortgages (503) 780-6872 <tu.phan@fairwaymc.com> <www.LoansNow.com> 12817 S.E. 93rd Ave. Clackamas, OR 97015 Copyright©2023 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. NMLS#2289. 4750 S. 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Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License. from the first time in the match Norway had threatened, Vilda Boe Rise got away on the right, took the ball to the byline and crossed to the middle where Guro Reiten stood tall and headed wide of the diving Ayaka Yamashita into the left corner. The goal came entirely against the run of play. After a half-hour, Japan had 183 completed passes to Norway’s 88, had more than 60% of the possession, and five shots on goal. Miyazawa, Aoba Fujino, Jun Endo, and others had been threatening. Shimizu’s winner came in the 50th minute as Japan pushed forward again from halfway. Miyazawa tried to hold up the ball near goal, lost possession to Boe Risa, who tried a back pass. The ball was intercepted by Shimizu, who was rushing in from the right and easily finished her shot. “There is still a long way to go, but after we felt South Korea looks to 16-year-old Casey Phair to lead rebuild after Women’s World Cup elimination Continued from page 15 good about her debut as she prepared to return to the U.S. “I feel like I’ve gotten more mature about the game,” Phair said. “Especially with older teammates. I thought it was a really great experience.” Phair played 85 minutes before Bell pulled her; he’s deliberately managing her minutes. “I don’t want to build somebody up too quickly,” he said, “We have to make sure that we take care of these young players.” Brooke Evans and Taft Gantt are students at the Uni- versity of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute. 1 MONTH FREE lu ! e) a (a $28 v (AP Photo/John Cowpland) but all of our players really worked hard,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said. “We made several adjustments in the second half and it was great that they led to the goals and the win. “Whether we are No 1, we will find out if we continue winning. We will find out at the end.” While it was ineffective, it was an early declaration of intent. With long balls or sharp, quick passing, Japan continually pressed forward and Norway, which conceded only one goal in group play, often seemed rattled at the back. When the defense finally yielded, it was in unusual circumstances. In the 15th minute, Miyazawa curled the ball in from depth on the left and Engen extended her leg to parry the ball. She managed only to deflect it wide of Aurora Mikalsen in goal for the eighth own goal of the tournament. Japan seemed well on top but in the 21st minute, and (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Continued from page 14 QUARTERFINAL BOUND. Hana Takahashi (#12, left photo) of Japan challenges for the ball against a Team Norway player during a Women’s World Cup Round of 16 knockout match in Wellington, New Zealand. In the right photo, Hinata Miyazawa (#7) of Japan reacts after scoring her team’s first goal of the tournament in Hamilton, New Zealand. frustrated in 2019, I feel like we’ve overcome an obstacle,” Shimizu said. “We’ll head to the next one, but I feel we got a really great victory today. “Among us there were only positive words. Even when it became 1-1, no one has a negative mood. We could play in a very positive way.” Miyazawa produced a copybook finish in the 81st, running onto a superb through ball and directing her shot wide of Mikalsen. Norway and Japan had met only once before at a World Cup, in 1999, when Norway won 4-0. Current Norway coach Hege Riise scored on goal in that match. On Saturday, Riise watched and admired the new Japan team and the quality of its attacking play. “‘I’ve seen them play in the group stage and they are a great team with a lot of good players and tactics,” Riise said. “The plan was for us to be strong in defense and not let them play too much into us. “But they did well. We played solid defense some times but not quite good enough. Regardless of who and how to play in the back five, I would say Japan was stronger than us.” Former Ballon d’Or-winner Ada Hegerberg started on the bench for Norway and was introduced late, indicating her fitness still may not have been up to scratch.” Japan next will take on Sweden in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Save BIG on your transportation costs! Get your first month FREE when you sign up for our reduced-fare transit card! Then enjoy unlimited rides on buses and trains for just $28 a month. Income requirements apply. trimet.org/save