The Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) won their first match of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 Asian Qualifiers Round 2 against the India Women's National Team, ranked 61st in the FIFA rankings, 7-0 at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent on Thursday, 26 October.

For this match Head Coach IKEDA Futoshi opted for a 4-3-3 formation following their match against Argentina in September. HIRAO Chika (Albirex Niigata Ladies) started in goal, while MIYAKE Shiori (INAC Kobe Leonessa), TAKAHASHI Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies), ISHIKAWA Rion (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies), and MORIYA Miyabi (INAC Kobe Leonessa) formed the defence line. KUMAGAI Saki (AS Roma) anchored the midfield, while HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City) and SUGITA Hina (Portland Thorns FC) were the two attacking midfielders. NAKASHIMA Yoshino (Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina) and NAOMOTO Hikaru (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies) were deployed on the flanks, while TANAKA Mina (INAC Kobe Leonessa) was named as the lone striker.

The match started with Japan taking the initiative, with Tanaka firing the first shot just 40 seconds into the first half.

In the 17th minute, Hasegawa assisted Nakashima's goal to give Japan the lead. It was Nakashima's first international goal. Naomoto came close to doubling Japan's lead in the 26th minute when the midfielder fired a direct free-kick just over the crossbar.

Despite their early momentum, Japan struggled to create chances against India, who played a five in the back and were pinned back in their own half as the first half ended 1-0.

In an attempt to change the dynamic of the match, coach Ikeda introduced HAYASHI Honoka (West Ham United) at the start of the second half and Japan wasted no time in adding their second goal when Nakashima converted Moriya's cross in the 46th minute. The introduction of SEIKE Kiko (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies) and NAGANO Fuka (Liverpool FC) in the 52nd minute gave Japan more options in attack and led to a goalscoring spree.

Hayashi capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to make it 3-0 in the 53rd minute, before Tanaka converted Seike's cross a minute later. Moriya scored her first international goal in the 57th minute, converting a cross to make it 5-0.

Even with a dominant lead, Japan continued to press forward, as Seike scored the sixth goal in the 73rd minute, before Naomoto scored the seventh goal in the 82nd minute to cap off the spree.

The Nadeshiko Japan will now face the Uzbekistan Women's National Team on Sundy, 29 October.

Coach and Players' Comments

IKEDA Futoshi, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team)
We are delighted with this solid victory as we take our first steps towards the Paris Olympics. We were able to control the game very well, test a lot of combinations and get a lot of different players on the scoresheet. We were a little too passive in the first half given the conditions on the pitch and struggled to find our rhythm, but we kept our composure and scored a lot of goals in the second half. Our next game is in three days' time, so we hope to prepare ourselves in the best possible way. We are playing Uzbekistan at their home, so we need to be mentally and physically prepared.

DF #19 MORIYA Miyabi (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
I need to improve the quality of my crosses, but I am happy I was able to assist today. I was pressing up too deep in the first half, so I made a conscious effort to stay back in the second half. When we scored the second goal, I saw (Nakashima) Yoshino and (Hasegawa) Yui wide open at the far side, so I delivered a tight pass into that space, and I am glad it led to a goal. I was anticipating for my chance to score in the second goal, and I am relieved that I was able to make good contact to score a goal.

DF #20 ISHIKAWA Rion (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
Although we struggled to score goals in the first half, we managed to score goals once we started playing simple and picked up our pace in the second half. When defending against set pieces, I always try to drop back and cover my teammates as soon as the ball goes over my head, so I was happy to show that. I need to get better at handling the ball even when playing on harsh pitch conditions. I also need to be aware of open spaces before I receive the ball so that I can get more involved in the team's attack. We will do our best so that we can keep another clean sheet when we face Uzbekistan. 

MF #15 NAKASHIMA Yoshino (Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina)
I am glad that I was able to contribute to the team’s victory by scoring the first goal. Hasegawa-san provided me with a great pass, and although I could have crossed the ball, I decided to take my chance to shoot, and I was able to execute exactly where I wanted. We have strong forwards in the middle, so I knew we could score more goals if we continued to provide crosses to them. The experience I gained at the Asian Games has really boosted my confidence, which allowed me to play the WE League Cup final and this Asian qualifiers in great condition. 

Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 Asian Qualifiers Round 2

Tournament Dates: Thu. 26 October - Wed. 1 November 2023
Tournament information