At the FIFA World Cup Qatar, Japan beat powerhouse Spain 2-1 to advance to the finals for the second straight tournament.
The game-winning goal scored by Midori Tanaka after the score was tied.
It was a shot that matched the wrap from the goal line.
Mitoma Kaoru, who made the last pass, looked back, saying, ``It was only 1 millimeter, but I thought it would be nice if I could get inside the pitch, so I stretched my legs.'' It produced a dramatic winning goal that defeated the powerhouse.
Japan were pushed into Spain from the beginning and took the lead in the 11th minute of the first half, but in the second half, Japan pressed aggressively to close in on the opponent's goal. I decided to take a middle shot and caught up with the tie.
Furthermore, in the 6th minute, TANAKA Aoi met MITOMA Kaoru, who also entered the second half, on the edge of the goal line, and TANAKA Aoi put her right foot into the goal.
This is a picture taken from above of the scene where Mitoma raised the cross ball.
You can also see that part of the ball remains slightly over the goal line.
According to the International Football Council's Laws of the Game, the ball is considered off the pitch when it completely crosses the line on the ground or in the air.
This means that play can continue as long as some part of the ball remains on the line, even if it is not in contact with the ground.
The winning goal was judged by a video referee called VAR (Video Assistant Referee) because it was unclear whether the ball was outside the goal line or not when Mitoma threw a cross ball.
As a result, it was ruled that he had not fully crossed the line and the winning goal was awarded.
Looking back, Mitoma said, "It's only 1mm, but I thought it would be nice if I could get inside the pitch, so I stretched out."
The Japanese players' attitude of chasing the ball without giving up until the end produced a dramatic winning goal that defeated the powerhouses.