Japan cruised to a 4-0 home win over South Korea in a women’s football international friendly match on Saturday, their first game after their Paris Olympics quarterfinal exit.
Hikaru Kitagawa, Aoba Fujino and Mina Tanaka scored within the space of five first-half minutes before 19-year-old starlet Momoko Tanikawa also got on the scoresheet in the second half at Tokyo’s National Stadium as seventh-ranked Nadeshiko Japan dominated throughout against their 19th-ranked opponents.
“This was a first step toward the big tournaments scheduled three and four years from now, and it was great to win, but there are areas to improve, too,” 20-year-old Fujino said.
Japan’s Hikaru Kitagawa (C) celebrates with her teammates after opening the scoring in the first half of a women’s international football friendly against South Korea at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. (Kyodo)Â
Brighton’s Kiko Seike rattled the bar from close range in the 31st minute before the goals came flooding in for Japan, first through Kitagawa as the Hacken player met Yui Hasegawa’s right corner with a glancing header that went in off the far post in the 33rd minute.
Their second came a minute later after Kitagawa blocked South Korea’s clearance near the byline down the left, allowing Mina Tanaka to cut back for Manchester City forward Fujino to power home through the legs of the keeper.
A sloppy touch by the South Korean backline gave Tanaka the third in the 37th minute after the visitors’ backline failed to deal with Hasegawa’s routine pass, leaving the Utah Royals forward to net an easy one-on-one.
Aoba Fujino (far L) scores Japan’s second goal in the first half of a women’s international football friendly against South Korea at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. (Kyodo)Â
Halftime substitute Tanikawa steered home right-back Moriya Miyabi’s cross along the floor into the bottom corner in the 56th minute, and the home side saw the game out with little trouble.
“I saw the actions at the Olympics and the World Cup first hand and strongly felt I want us to be the world No. 1 too,” said Rosengard midfielder Tanikawa, who scored a dramatic long-range winner against Brazil in a group-stage match in Paris this summer.
Mina Tanaka (L) scores Japan’s third goal in the first half of a women’s international football friendly against South Korea at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. (Kyodo)Â
“I want to raise my level and contribute to Nadeshiko’s return to the world’s best again.”
Japan had 2011 World Cup-winning manager Norio Sasaki in temporary charge after parting ways with Futoshi Ikeda, and new coach Atsuto Uchida, the former men’s Japan and Schalke fullback, watching on from the sideline at the game.
Momoko Tanigawa (L) celebrates after scoring Japan’s fourth goal in the second half of a women’s international football friendly against South Korea at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. (Kyodo) Â
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