Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nilai: Japan advanced to the semi-finals of the inaugural AFC Women’s Futsal Championship with a 100% record following Wednesday’s 7-1 defeat of China, a result that also confirmed Thailand’s place in the final four as Group B runners-up.
Having recorded wins over Vietnam (4-2) and then the Thais (3-1), Japan took the first step towards a hat-trick of victories when skipper Shiori Nakajima opened the scoring with three minutes gone before three goals in the space of two minutes - two from Saori Kato (7th, 8th) and one from Minako Sekinada (8th) - and an Anna Amishiro strike on the stroke of half-time gave the three-time Asian Indoor Games’ gold medallists a command 5-0 lead at the interval.
China finally got on the scoresheet in the 33rd minute through Liu Jing but Japan’s five-goal cushion was restored four minutes later courtesy of Maiko Higashiyama before China’s disappointing final match was compounded when defender Wang Hui inadvertently put the ball into her own net to gift Japan a seventh just before full time as the Japanese advanced as Group B winners ahead of Thailand, who defeated Vietnam 2-1 in Wednesday’s earlier fixture at the Nilai Indoor Stadium.
What they said…
Masaaki Arihara (Japan coach):
https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/md3_japan_coach_jpg.html
https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/md3_china_coach_jpg.html
