Japan vs Vietnam - AFC Group Stages Come to an End

As the group stages of the Women’s Asia Football Cup come to a close, check out this game recap of the Perth game between Japan and Vietnam. Fierce competition and skilful attacks made for a captivating game, progressing one team to the quarter-finals.

(Image Credits to The AFC)

From the first whistle, Japan dominated the pitch, maintaining possession and taking shots. It took just 21 minutes for the first one to land. Riko Ueki scored for Japan, bringing the score to 1-0.

This pressure from Japan was felt stadium-wide, with cheers from Japan fans and tense movements from the Vietnam fans as they cheered their team on, hopeful for a comeback.

In the 45th minute of the game, just before half-time, Japan made a triple substitution, sending Toko Koga and Hinata Miyazawa, Mina Tanaka on in place of Yui Hasagawa, Hiraku Kitagawa and goal scorer, Riko Ueki. 

The fresh legs on the pitch had a noticeable change for the Japan side, as they moved with power and energy before the half-time whistle was blown.

The return to the pitch for the second half of the game was dynamic; both sides fought hard, and eventually, Japan scored again. Maiko Hamano scored Japan’s second goal, setting the score at 2-0, giving Vietnam a tough ladder to climb if they wanted to even the score.

A substitution for Vietnam saw Huynh Nhu join in the pitch in place of Thi Thúy Hang, hoping to give the team a boost of energy and confidence.

This was followed by a double substitution for Japan, allowing them to make moves and score yet another screamer of a goal. Aoba Fujino raised the scoreline to 3-0, setting Japan at a comfortable lead, which didn’t slow them down for a second.

Just 3 minutes after Fujino’s goal, Kiko Seike raised the score to 4-0, getting the Japan fans in the crowd to celebrate the win with 20 minutes remaining in the game.

After five substitutions for Vietnam and an additional substitution for Japan, the game unfolded with intense battles and fights for possession, ultimately ending in a 4-0 score.

Following Japan’s 11-0 defeat of India previously in the tournament, they have quickly been named tournament favourites. Despite the odds being against Vietnam, they still played incredibly well and were able to make 8 crucial saves.

Japan now advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they are expected to excel with great success, as we have learned from many previous competitions, nothing is certain, so stay tuned for a great couple of games!

Article written by Milla Sinfield