Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nanjing: Japan completed a near-perfect tournament to become AFC U-19 Women’s champions for a record fifth time, seeing off previously unbeaten DPR Korea 1-0 thanks to a superb Riko Ueki goal.
After a tense and close-fought match, Futoshi Ikeda’s side continued their remarkable run of second-half scoring to claim back-to-back titles, following their 2015 win against the same opponents.
World champions at U-17 and U-20 level, DPR Korea finished as runners-up for the fourth consecutive time as their search for a first AFC U-19 Women’s Championship crown since 2007 went unfulfilled.
Having both convincingly beaten all comers since the tournament began two weeks, the teams spent the early moments feeling each other out in what was a cagey opening.
Thomas Gerstner’s side had been consistently fast starters in Nanjing, and the final represented the first time in the tournament they failed to take the lead within the first quarter of an hour.
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