British women beat Japan, reach soccer quarterfinals at Tokyo Olympics

Sapporo, Japan, July 24 (AP): Ellen White scored her third goal in two games at the Olympics, heading Britain to a 1-0 victory over Japan on Saturday and earning a place in the women’s soccer quarterfinals.

The striker scored both goals in Wednesday’s win over Chile and then added another in the same Sapporo Dome in the 74th minute against the host nation.

The goal came from a defensive mix-up after Lucy Bronze’s cross came into the penalty area. White got ahead of goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita, rising to nod the ball into the net.

Britain leads Group E with six points, two more than Canada, which beat Chile 2-1 in Saturday’s other game. First place will be decided on Tuesday when Britain plays Canada.