Japan U20 5-2 Australia U20
by Alyce Collett (8/4/26)
Above: Japan have completed an undefeated run in the group stage of the U20 Women’s Asian Cup, and perhaps sent a message to the rest of the competition in the process. Photo: via AFC.
The Young Matildas have had a bit of a reality check in their final group match in the Under Women’s 20 Asian Cup, going down 5-2 to Japan.
Japan dominated much of the key areas for most of the game, but only really made the most of that dominance in the second half.
Avaani Prakash initially gave Australia the lead with a goal against the run of play, but then a brace from both Noa Fukushima and Miki Kimura as well as a goal from Natsumi Tago really swung the game in Japan’s favour on the scoreboard. Daisy Brown did manage to get one late consolation goal back for the Aussies.
As the first half progressed, Japan took control of possession and time in the attacking half, but its inability to string true chains of passes together meant that really dangerous shots on goal were few and far between.
Mao Itamura did have the most dangerous chance in the early stages, but unfortunately for Japan her shot went narrowly wide. Itamura was really lively in attack for Japan, alongside the likes of Tago and Yuna Aoki.
However, one positive from a Japanese perspective was that they were able to put plenty of perceived pressure on Australia so the defence of the Young Matildas had a sense of shakiness for the first time this tournament, and Australia’s normally strong passing was also not as strong as usual.
Australia had brief moments of hope in attack, but just could not really threaten the Japan goal.
That was until the 40th minute, when Prakash managed to juggle the ball around the Japanese defensive line and struck the ball perfectly to give the Young Matildas the lead very much against the run of play.
Despite the challenge the Australians were facing in terms of trying to absorb enormous amount of Japanese attacking pressure, the Aussies certainly were not afraid to take it up to their highly fancied opponents, but at times they did toe a fine line in the physical aggression department.
Australia’s joy at taking the lead did not last too long though, when Fukushima was fed a through ball perfectly, then curved her shot around her body perfectly and into the back of the net.
Fukushima’s goal proved to be the final major moment of the first half, and as such the match was at a very interesting place at the half time break.
Fukushima had another positive shot on goal in the early moments of the second half, but that shot ultimately went wide.
She eventually did get a second goal for herself though about 10 minutes into the second half.
She was fed a through ball perfectly by Miyu Matsunaga and then took her shot, and although Australian keeper Illona Melegh did take much of the pace off her shot she was unable to stop the ball rolling on behind her and into the back of the net.
Australia almost had the equaliser moments after the restart, but Zara Kruger’s shot was well stopped by Japanese keeper Uruha Iwasaki.
Japan had a third about 10 minutes after that when Matsunaga again fed the ball perfectly through to a striker – this time Tago – and after Melegh initially seemed to stop Tago’s shot, it turned out the ball had in fact slipped through her arms and Tago was able to pounce and covert on the second time of asking.
Tago’s goal really capped off what had been a dominant second half performance from Japan, in which Japan had actually managed to string passes together much better than the side did in the first half.
Japan was not done scoring there though, when with about 10 minutes to go Kimura – who had only been on the pitch mere moments after being subbed on – perfectly worked her shot around several members of the Australian defence and the ball narrowly found its way into the back of the net.
She had a second minutes later, which capped off a truly dominant performance from the Japanese.
The Young Matildas managed to get a consolation goal moments after the restart from Kimura’s second goal when Brown was able to tap a perfectly placed cross from Prakash into the back of the net.
Teams: AUSTRALIA U20’s (4-4-3): Melegh, Bertolissio, Dundas, Halmarick, McMahon, Kruger, Apostolakis, Prakash, Younis, Trimis, Sullivan. Substitutes: Bennett, Butrus, Cassar, O’Keeffe, Fuller, Brown, Collins, Breier, Black, Henniker, Ritchie, Dale.
Scorers: Prakash 39’, Brown 86’
Japan U20’s (4-2-3-1): Iawasaki, Aoki, Aso, Higuchi, Matsunaga, Furuta, Itamura, Tago, M. Honda, Sato, Fukushima. Substitutes: Ota, Suzuki, Tsuda, Ishida, Kimura, Nakamura, Y. Honda, Hara, Kingestu, Sano, Nawa.
Scorers: Fukushima 45+3’, 54’, Tago 65’, Kimura 81’, 84’
Referee: Rawdha Al-Mansoori (UAE).
Attendance: TBC.
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