In the third round of Group B of the Women's U17 Asian Cup on May 13, the Chinese women's football team and the Japanese women's football team staged a battle for the top spot. Before the game, the North Korean women's football team and the South Korean women's football team were in the top two of the other group, and the Chinese women's football team can avoid the three-time champion North Korean women's football team if they can beat the Japanese women's football team in this round. However, it backfired, and the Japanese women's football team scored one goal in the first half and three goals in the second half to win 4-0 to win the first place in Group B. The Chinese women's football team suffered a heavy defeat and advanced to the second place in Group B, and will encounter the most unwanted opponent in the semi-finals - the North Korean women's football team.
China Women's Football Team - Japan Women's Football Team
The Japanese team's high pressing put great pressure on the Chinese team's defensive line, and many times successfully converted into counterattacks after breaking the ball in the midfield, especially the frequent use of the right side of Sugawara Chijia as the attack initiation point, many crosses to create danger, striker Sato Momo full of impact to create chaos in front of the goal. In the 8th minute, Sugawara Chiya crossed from the right again, Momo Sato outflanked and pushed the middle post, and Fukushima Nozomi scored a supplementary shot.
In the face of the strong start of the Japanese team, the Chinese team gradually stabilized their position after an early nervous state, and launched counterattacks on both wings with the advantage of flexible speed. The energetic performances of players such as Li Yuhan and Zhang Jie on the flanks won more possession, and although several threatening combinations failed to convert into shots due to a slight lack of finishing touches, they put a lot of pressure on the opposition defence.
The Japanese team's offensive resumed, and Miharu Mashiro took a free kick in front of the field and shot directly wide. Then Miharu Mashiro crossed from a corner kick from the right, and Mitsuki Ota grabbed the front point and was saved. The Chinese team played a high-quality counterattack, and in the 28th minute, Lin Yuling's fast-break opportunity was saved from the arc and sent the first shot of the game. At the end of the half, the Japanese team once again caused the Chinese team to lose the ball with high pressure, Hana Kikuchi shot into the near corner on the left, and Hou Shulin made a wonderful save to catch the ball with both hands. In the first half, the Chinese women's football team fell behind 0-1, with 46% possession, 2 shots on goal, 1 shot on target, and the scene was relatively passive; With 11 shots on goal and 5 on target, Japan had a higher quality attack.
Yibian re-battled the Chinese team with Zhong Yuxin and Xiao Jiaqi, and preemptively instigated the offensive in the opening stage, and Zhou Xinyi's breakthrough and stabbing shot on the right side of the penalty area were blocked. Xiao Jiaqi's corner kick then spun towards the goal and was saved by the goalkeeper on the goal line, and the linesman signaled that the ball did not cross the goal line. In the 53rd minute, the Chinese team made a mistake in the backfield and was almost seized by the opponent.
In the 73rd minute, the Japanese team played a long pass from the backfield, and Hana Kikuchi single-handedly pushed to expand the score. In the 85th minute, Hana Kikuchi broke the ball in front of the field and scored a single goal to complete the double ring. In the last 1 minute, Nezu Riliri scored with a header. The Chinese women's football team ended 0-4 Japan women's football team.
The semi-finals are out
The Japanese women's football team won three consecutive games, scoring 9 points, scoring 12 goals and conceding 1 goal, ranking first in the group; The Chinese women's football team won 2 wins and 1 loss, scored 6 goals and conceded 4 goals, ranking second in the group, and both teams advanced to the semifinals.
In the other group, the North Korean women's football team defeated the South Korean women's football team 7-0, the Philippine women's football team 6-0, and the Indonesian women's football team 9-0, achieving three consecutive wins to rank first in the group, and the South Korean women's football team defeated the Indonesian women's football team 12-0 after the first round of heavy defeat, and drew 1-1 with the Philippine women's football team, and won the second place in the group to advance to the semifinals by goal difference.
With the group stage all over, the dust has settled on the semi-finals: the Chinese women's football team against the North Korean women's football team, and the Japanese women's football team against the South Korean women's football team. In the end, the top three in the tournament will directly qualify for the U17 World Cup, given that the strength of the South Korean women's football team has a big gap with the other three teams, the Chinese women's football team still has a very big hope of qualifying.