AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup
Goals from Maya Hijikata and Suzu Amano secured Japan their last four berth from Group B with a match to spare and also booked their ticket to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024.
Defeat for China PR meant their hopes are hanging by a thread, with victory against Vietnam needed on Sunday with DPR Korea - on four points - to face Japan.
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China PR, having played to a 1-1 draw with DPR Korea in their opening match, flirted with danger early in the game when they gave away possession deep in their own half but came off lucky when Manaka Matsukubo couldn’t find the target with a headed attempt with Hijikata then forcing goalkeeper Liu Chen into a save.
China PR responded through Li Tingyingge who sent a cross in the six-yard-box for Lu Jiayu whose effort was thwarted by Japan goalkeeper Akane Okuma with Manaka Hayashi then scrambling the ball to safety.
While Japan threatened again with Suzu Amano seeing her effort from inside the box blocked while Matsukubo blazed her shot over the bar, China PR almost found a way through at the other end when Li’s long pass slipped through the Japanese defence only for Lu to fire straight into the arms of Okuma.
A swift counter-attacking move in the 26th minute, however, saw Japan take the lead after Oyama sent the ball wide to Mao Kubota, whose cutback into the centre was steered by Hijikata into the bottom left corner of the net.
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Boosted by the goal, Japan continued to apply pressure with Shinomi Koyama seeing her effort saved in the 35th minute while Hayashi should have done better with her effort just before the break.
China PR were livelier when the match resumed and came close to equalising in the 51st minute, Yu Jiaqi’s delightful cross finding Li whose volley forced Okuma into producing a fingertip save.
Japan, however, looked dangerous every time they attacked and came close through Hijikata in the 54th minute, while Matsukubo saw her attempt from inside the box foiled by the China PR defence.
Amano, however, sealed the win for Japan in the 88th minute when she curled in a spectacular free-kick over the wall and past the China PR custodian into the top right corner.
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