Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Ho Chi Minh City: Emi Nakajima, Mizuhu Sakaguchi and Chinatsu Kira all scored twice as Japan topped their group in the AFC Women's Asian Cup with a 7-0 win over Jordan at Binh Duong Stadium on Sunday.
Kira opened the scoring for Japan on 26 minutes, before Nakajima struck her first a minute before half-time to take Japan in at the break two goals to the good.
After the interval Nakajima completed her brace and two second half goals from captain Sakaguchi, an own goal from Ala'a Abu Kasheh and a second from Kira ensured that Japan would qualify top of Group A above defending champions Australia by virtue of a superior goal difference.
Having already qualified for the semi-finals, Japan coach Norio Sasaki had the luxury of making 10 changes to the starting line-up who secured a 4-0 win against tournament hosts Vietnam.
Megumi Takase had the first clear chance of the game in the fourth minute after a long ball forward played her in with Jordan's goalkeeper Zina Al Sadi hesitating to come off her line but Takase was only able to pull her shot wide of the goal.
And Jordan appeared to grow in confidence the longer they kept Japan at bay but the pressure finally told in the 26th minute when a ball was played deep into the box from wide by Rumi Utsugi and Kira was waiting unmarked at the back post to direct her header back towards goal and over the head of Al Sadi.
Japan were able to double their lead in the final minute of the first-half when Kira played a through ball to Sakaguchi who saw her shot rebound off the post but Nakajima was following up on the edge of the box and fired her shot home into the roof of the net.
And their lead was further extended just two-minutes after the re-start when Takase chested the ball down on the edge of the box and Sakaguchi was able to pounce and fire the ball low into the bottom corner from just outside the area.
Jordan had a chance to pull a goal back just after the hour mark when Maysa Jbarah tried to capitalise on a mistake by Shiho Kohata but despite being through on goal fatigue showed and she hit a limp effort from the edge of the box which was easily dealt with by Ayumi Kaihori.
And Japan made sure Jordan were punished for the missed chance on 67 minutes when a ball was drilled in to the box low across the goal face of goal and there was little Abu Kasheh could do other than to turn the ball into her own net.
A fifth goal came for Japan after 75 minutes when Sama'a Khraisat committed a foul on the very edge of her box and Nakajima stepped up to score from the resulting free-kick with a helping hand from the cross-bar.
With Jordan players looking very tired in the closing stages Sakaguchi was able to get her second of the match when she got her head to a free-kick from Nakajima in the 85th minute.
And the one sided score-line was completed in the final minute of stoppage time when Jordan failed to clear the ball and Kira hit the ball home from the edge of the box to get her second goal of the game.