Japan vs Great Britain LIVE: Tokyo 2020 final score, result and reaction as Team GB reach quarter-finals
The second match of the group stage for Team GB as they continue their search for medals
Great Britain are through to the knockout stages of the Olympics women’s football competition with a game to spare after a 1-0 victory over hosts Japan. It was a professional display in a contest they bossed, though not with outright control. Similar to their 2-0 victory over Chile, they won the most important passages and, again, it was Ellen White’s name on the scoresheet. That her three goals in two games have come from just five shots says as much about her effectiveness in front of goal as it does of how Team GB have not quite been at their creative best. Nevertheless, the first part of the job is done.
For Japan, their hopes of automatic qualification take a hit, especially after Canada beat Chile earlier in the day to move to four points, with a cushion of three in second. However, they can still make it through if they defeat the South Americans on Tuesday to move to four points and, thus, qualify as the best two of the three third-place sides.
Follow all the latest updates from the Olympics and the reaction from Japan against Great Britain here:
Carapaz wins gold for Ecuador
And here’s our race report:
Richard Carapaz wins Tokyo Olympics men’s cycling road race for Ecuador
One of the most brutal Olympic road races in memory ascended Mount Fuji and then erupted into an explosive battle for Olympic gold. A pack of 11 riders established themselves and the front and then tore lumps out of each other with attack after attack, and at the end Richard Carapaz won the war.
Road race summary
Richard Carapaz stormed to victory in the men’s Olympic road race as Adam Yates finished ninth for Great Britain after Geraint Thomas was forced to abandon following a crash.
Carapaz, third in the Tour de France last week, rode clear of Brandon McNulty with six kilometres of the demanding 234km race to the Fuji International Speedway left and held off the chasing pack to deliver only Ecuador’s second Olympic gold in their history.
Yates was part of a nine-man chasing group who crossed the line 67 seconds later. The Lancastrian had launched his sprint first, knowing surprise was his best opportunity, but he was soon swept up as Wout Van Aert pipped Tour winner Tadej Pogacar to silver on the line.
Adam’s twin brother Simon was 17th in a group that finished three and a half minutes back.
Their team-mates Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart were involved in a crash around 70km into the race when Geoghegan Hart got his wheel caught in a groove on the road, bringing down both men.
Thomas landed hard on his right side - having dislocated the same shoulder during the Tour de France - and pulled out of the race on their first passage of the line, still with 60km to go.
Thomas later tweeted: “All good with me. Thanks for the messages!! Think I must have done something bad in a previous life. Freak crash, Tao lost his front wheel and decked it in front of me. I had nowhere to go, other than the floor as well.” PA
Top 10
- ECU CARAPAZ Richard
- BEL van AERT Wout
- SLO POGACAR Tadej
- NED MOLLEMA Bauke
- CAN WOODS Michael
- USA McNULTY Brandon
- FRA GAUDU David
- COL URAN Rigoberto
- GBR YATES Adam
- GER SCHACHMANN Maximilian
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
Wout van Aert, of course, won the bunch sprint for silver, and a delighted Tadej Pogacar took bronze. What a race.
Richard Carapaz wins the road race!
Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz wins a thrilling men’s cycling road race on the outskirts of Tokyo! And in front of a few hundred fans at the Fuji International Speedway track too, who hammer the advertising boards to make a racket for him. What a win.
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
They are back on the Fuji Speedway which means everyone can see everyone else ahead of them and it’s fascinating. The chasers have pretty much given up on gold now, they are in a battle for the silver and bronze medals it seems. Carapaz has surely got this, with a 40 second lead and 1km to go...
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
Just 3km to go and Carapaz leads by 30 seconds. He is grimacing hard. Eight riders are giving chase but they seem reluctant to put in the work to catch him, each waiting for the other to go...
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
Richard Carapaz breaks clear of McNulty! He’s trying to power away to solo gold. What a bold attempt. It’s everything or nothing now for the Colombian... 4km to go.
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
France’s David Gaudu is the man who has instigated most of the chasing and it’s brought the containing Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar right back into contention. Only 15 seconds now separates the chasers from the leading two, who look like they might be about to surrender.
Tokyo Olympics: Men’s cycling road race
There are only 10km to go and McNulty and Carapaz still lead, although their advantage has been cut in the past few minutes, back down to around 30 seconds. This could go right to the wire, and if the chasing pack do catch up then Belgium’s Wout van Aert will be a strong contender to clinch gold.
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