First 10 minutes: no particularly dangerous actions so far, except a Shiokoshi's shot a few minutes ago, but possession is quite solidly in Japan's hands: when Vietnam win the ball they are almost immediately dispossessed or they have to try their luck with long but quite random counterattacking-drives.
Minute 15: Vietnamese players finally had a quite long action without being swarmed and dispossessed: they win a FK in the midfield, have a dangerous shot deflected in corner by our GK, but the two ensuing consecutive CKs pose no other danger. Japan is anyway a lil shaken, their posssession is now not undisputed.
And just when Vietnam had takedn a lil courage and had started to open up a little, they are punished by a Japanese goal: captain Shiokoshi at 19'!
Asian Games H.T.....Japan 2-0 Vietnam Who's going to score the remaining 6 goals? (No prizes for guessing who the crowd are rooting for)
Japan 2-0 Vietnam at HT. Not likely that we're going to see another 8-0 score in the 2nd Half at this round, but the game anyway seems solidly in control for Japan. The impression is that a Japan's B-side looks anyway way stronger than a middle-tier AFC NT.
Vietnamese keep trying to pass the ball up the pitch but the very effective Japanese press means they cannot get it through midfield - the only thing left for them is to resort to long ball / route 1 over the top and hope someone gets on the end of it.
Looks like Vietnam's trying to save the energy in this match. They stay in low to middle block and start pressing only when the ball is 40 meters in front of their own goal.
I confess to being extremely extremely biased but seeing Mami Ueno and Remina Chiba on at the same time is a rare treat for me....well worth the price of any ticket
well that was quite dubious pk call... let's see if the flood gates will open cuz Vietnamese look bit frustrated and disheartened.
Reina Wakisaka from PK at 55'. I don't like this kind of PKs being given: the Vietnamese player was on the ground and couldn't basically do anything to avoid the ball hitting her arm. Anyway, with a 4-0 score at 55', maybe we're still in time for a 8-0 after all. Dangerous shot for Japan while I write this, but no goal.Who's the girl with dyed-blonde hair? Was she subbed-in the 2nd Half?
Reina Wakisaka gets a Yellow Card for a foul in the midfield and she's subsequently immedietely subbed-out; Amano in at her place.
Vietnam's no.16 - Duong Thi Van is looking very good. Imo she should follow in her captain Hyunh Nhu (absent from this tourney) footsteps and leave domestic league for some European club.
She answered by herself by scoring a good goal at 69': she's JEF's Haruka Osawa. There's still time to make this 5-0 an 8-0. Just after the goal, Japan changes the GK, Matsumoto for Asano (I suppose just to give playing time to her: Asano didn't look injured or anything).
...And 6-0 at 75', Remina Chiba again. I start seriously smelling another 8-0. Maybe they've been promised a special prize if all of the games at these Asian Games are won by 8-0.