Nanjing: Four-time AFC U-19 Women’s Championship winners Japan suggested they are likely to be contenders yet again, as they kicked-off their 2017 campaign with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Vietnam at the Jiangning Sports Centre Stadium on Monday.
Saori Takarada scored a second-half hat-trick as the reigning champions comfortably maintained their unbeaten record in AFC U-19 tournament openers, to end the day atop Group B.
In a frenetic start to the game, Japan’s Jun Endo nearly scored within the first ten seconds, but her cross-cum-shot floated narrowly beyond the Vietnamese goal, although she wouldn’t have to wait much longer to get her name on the score sheet.
The forward got her team’s campaign up and running just two minutes later, after Mizuka Sato’s (pictured below) pinpoint cross gave her a chance she could barely miss from close range.
Vu Ba Dong’s Vietnam side steadied the ship, with Ngoc Le and Nguyen Thi Minh Anh working diligently at the back, but Japan always looked like adding more goals and came close on several occasions.
The Vietnamese resistance was finally broken at the half-hour mark, when defender Nano Ono wandered forward to thump home Japan’s second goal from just outside the penalty area.
Riko Ueki (pictured above) – who had been more than a handful – then opened her account just three minutes later after a lovely passing move that included Takarada and Fuka Nagano, and Futoshi Ikeda’s side were three to the good.
Vietnam created a chance of their own, earning a free-kick on the verge of half-time, and Ha Thi Nhai was unlucky to see her well-struck effort curl to the wrong side of Japanese goalkeeper Hannah Stambaugh’s upright.
It remained 3-0 at half-time, but Takarada made it four when she nodded home from close range after Vietnam failed to deal with a 52nd minute corner kick, and five minutes later Ueki skipped past Ngoc Le before teeing up Sato, who added a fifth.
Within minutes Takarada hammered home her second, and the Cerezo Osaka Ladies forward completed her 15-minute hat-trick when she capitalised on miscommunication between goalkeeper and defender shortly thereafter.
Sato closed the scoring when she expertly volleyed home Endo’s cross to make it 8-0 in the 73rd minute, as Japan secured their biggest win at the tournament since they beat Myanmar by the same margin in 2007.
Japan’s search for a fifth AFC U-19 Women’s title continues against Australia on Thursday evening, while Vietnam face another difficult task against Korea Republic, who must win to keep their campaign alive after a first-up defeat.
Photos: AFC
Source: the-afc.com