Great Britain fell to a second defeat in two days after their final group stage match against Japan finished 15-10 at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China earlier today.
The ever-dependable Liv Wimppenny scored four goals for GB but was unable to stop her side falling to defeat against an outstanding Japan side.
GB went into the game knowing victory would see them progress to the semi-final stage of the competition and they started with intent, going two goals ahead after two minutes through Cece Green and Wimpenny.
Japan hit back and levelled things up through Shihome Hosoume and Negai Nakazawa and in the final minute of the first quarter Wimpenny and Atsuko Oda scored to make it 3-3.
The second quarter began in a similar vein for GB with Emmas Oakley and Savage scoring to put their team 5-3 ahead and looking like the team in relative control.
When playing sixes, no one ever truly has control, however, and, with six minutes to go in the second quarter, Japan regrouped to score four without reply from Monika Jones (x2), Chisa Kobayashi, and Kokoro Nakazawa to put their team in the driving seat heading into the third at 7-5.
Another goal early in the third for Japan thanks to K Nakazawa saw them pull three goals ahead before Wimpenny hit her second of the match to make the score 8-6.
This was followed by three goals in four minutes from Japan and Nene Kawai, Jones, and Miho Sakurai, leaving GB with a lot to do going into the fourth, despite a final minute goal from Lottie Robertson to keep her team within four.
Another two goals for Japan through Oda and Jones early in the fourth felt like the killer blow for GB but they rallied and Wimpenny’s fourth goal and another from Minty Loxton gave them a fighting chance with a couple of minutes left on the clock.
But it was too little too late and some clinical finishing from the opposition saw Japan score another two through K Nakazawa and Jones before Chess Gray rounded things off for GB with less than a minute to go in the game.
The result means GB miss out on a place in the semi-finals of the competition and ultimately a top four finish, leaving them to battle it out with Czechia at 3:30am (UK) tomorrow (Sunday 10 August) in the fifth place game.
Elsewhere in Group A, Canada claimed a 25-0 shutout victory against hosts China to win the group and head to the semi-finals with huge momentum; they’ll take on Australia in their semi-final match tomorrow with Japan playing USA.
Follow all the latest from The World Games HERE.
Great Britain 10-15 Japan (3-3, 2-4, 2-4, 3-4)
Great Britain scorers | Liv Wimpenny (4G, 2A), Cece Green (1G, 1A), Emma Oakley (1G, 1A), Chess Gray (1G, 1A), Lottie Robertson (1G, 1A), Emma Savage (1G), Minty Loxton (1G).
Goalie save % | Dylan Whittington 46.43% (13/28).
