Tokyo (Japan): Japan women’s football team on Wednesday sealed their spot in forthcoming Paris Olympics 2024 after securing a victory in the tightly-fought contest against Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by 2-1 at Tokyo’s National Stadium for the Nadeshiko.
Defender Takahashi Hana and forward Fujino Aoba scored goals on 26th and 76th minute of the game to give their side a chance to qualify for the world’s biggest sporting event after failing to qualify in 2016. Japan hadn’t qualified for an Olympic Games since London 2012, appearing at Tokyo 2020 as hosts.
Korea’s Goalkeeper Pak Jumi did well to fist a Tanaka Minami header off the bar but Takahashi was in the right place at the right time, smashing the rebound in the post to give the hosts the 1-0 lead on 26th minute.
In the final minute of the first half, Japan survived a big-time scare in the final minute of the half when DPR Korea’s Choe Kumok’s clever back heel from a Ri Hak cross appeared to be going over.
Japan had three clear standout players who helped book its tickets for Paris. Hana Takahashi scored in the 26th, but it was Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita who scrambled late in the first half to stop a shot that was millimeters from crossing over the line.
Aoba Fujino put the match away with a header in the 76th to give Japan its second. North Korea's Kim Hye Yong scored in the 80th, chipping the ball over keeper Yamashita as she came off her line.
Japan had much of the possession in the first half with North Korea playing the long ball and counterattack. And then Japan withstood North Korean pressure in the first 20 minutes of the second half as the visitors looked for the equalizer.
Takahashi gave Japan a 1-0 lead after her team had much of the early possession. She tapped in a close-range shot after teammate Mina Tanaka's header was deflected off the crossbar by North Korean goalkeeper Pak Ju Mi, the ball falling for Takahashi to score.
North Korea came close to scoring in 44th when Choe Kum Ok's shot was stopped on the line by Japanese keeper Yamashita. VAR video assistant referee was not being used in the match but television replays seemed to show the entire ball had not crossed the line.
Japan won the silver medal in the 2012 Olympics but has never won gold in the women's tournament. North Korea last appeared in women's soccer at the 2012 Olympics but has never won a medal.
North Korea skipped the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and blamed the pandemic. This angered the Internatinoal Olympic Committee, which also banned the country from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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