Yuriko Nakao via Getty Images
サッカー女子日本代表「なでしこジャパン」は3月2日、リオデジャネイロ・オリンピックのアジア最終予選（大阪・キンチョウスタジアム）で、韓国と1-1で引き分けた。2試合を終えて勝ち点はわずか1で、早くも自力でオリンピックの切符を獲得できる可能性が消滅した。
この試合、2015年限りで現役を引退した元日本代表主将の澤穂希さん（37）は、試合を中継したNHKのゲストとしてこの一戦を見守った。澤さんは試合終了後、日本が勝てなかったことに「厳しい言い方になりますけど…」と述べ、チームに喝を入れた。
産経WESTによると、澤さんは次のようにコメントした。
「ちょっと厳しい言い方になるが初戦より内容はよくなったが、結果として残せなかったのは残念。ＰＫセーブはさすが福ちゃんです。涙が出そうになりました。失点の場面はコミュニケーションができていなかったのでは。選手は途中から動き直しがなかったし、連係・連動ができていなかった。今後、気持ちを切り替え、選手のミーティングをしっかりしてほしい。私なら厳しいことをいいます。最後まであきらめないで頑張ってほしい」
試合は、日本が序盤から攻めたものの前半を0-0で折り返し。後半20分過ぎには韓国のPKをGK福元が気迫のセーブ。同39分、途中出場した岩渕が先制ゴールを挙げたが、その直後、鄭楔檳に決められて初勝利を逃した。
4大会連続のオリンピック出場は厳しい状況で、残り3戦は全勝が必須となった。澤さんは、次戦4日の中国戦もNHKのゲストとして試合を観戦する。
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なでしこジャパン、韓国とドロー
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澤穂希・画像集
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