Well, it could finally be a chance for me to watch a full game of our NT at this U-20 WWC! (Actually the last chance, tee-hee ). I admire the ones of you, guys, who watched this game live in Europe between 3:00 and 5:00 am: I don't have the guts anymore to do that (or I'd be sleeping at work the day after ). Hopefully, I'll manage to watch at least the final and it will be a game worth watching. Seriously, though: we could just play the AFC tournament at this age-level, give it the official name of "U-20 Women's World Cup" and call it a day, couldn't we? I now go looking for highlights: Can't wait to see Manaka Matuskubo's goals!
I had completely forgotten that she had transferred to Hammarby, thank you for reminding me. Now, I'll try to keep track of her too.
FIFA highlights of the game: When Manaka Matsukubo scores her second at 83', the comment guy says: "Surely no way back for the Netherlands now". Of course the man didn't watch Germany-USA.
Very true, but unlike Holland, both Germany and the USA were actually trying to play football and score goals. I think the Dutch had their first attempt on goal in like the 85th minute..? The days of Johan Cruyff are long gone from the Netherlands’ football philosophy.
Sturt Lions (Aus) to Shizuoka - Saito Kurumi [Announcement of the joining of Kurumi Saito] We are pleased to announce that Kurumi Saito has decided to join from Sturt Lions FC. Due to registration reasons, Saito will be able to participate from the Empress's Cup starting in November. 【齊藤久瑠美選手 加入のお知らせ】この度、齋藤 久瑠美 選手がSturt Lions FCより加入することが決定しましたのでお知らせいたします。なお、齋藤選手は登録の関係上、１１月から行われる皇后杯から出場が可能となります。#静岡SSUボニータ pic.twitter.com/gHRF83OHPD— 静岡SSUボニータ (@ssubonita) September 19, 2024
It's probably not very elegant to write this after the great success of advancing to World Cup final, but I consider present Young Nadeshiko a fantastic group of overachievers. I'm not sure if many of them, apart from Manaka Matsukubo, are going to have top level career like their predecessors and absentees (Hamano, Fujino and Co.), but in this specific tournament their grit, cohesion and persistence overshadowed potential talent deficiency. Excelling in the most important moments in sport is one of the finest features of an athlete.
A brilliant match, with even more brilliant goals! The first goal was pure Nadeshiko, absolute class from Matsukubo and from Matsunaga. I wished Japan could have scored more (the chances were there); I didn't unclench until the very last minute, with the Germany-USA game still in mind I've been thoroughly pleased by this team in this U20 WWC. They're a bunch of wonderful players. For the final, Korea DPR have to be the favourites, judging from the results and the recent history, I guess?
Young Nadeshiko lost to them twice in 2024 U20 Asian Cup in March: 0:1 in group stage and 1:2 in the final. I also remember long stretches in those games, when they looked poorly and dominated, therefore North Korea is favourite in my opinion. To be honest though, Young Nadeshiko look much improved now, so there is hope.
Tomorrow's games: WE League Albi vs Cerezo 12:00 Chifure vs Beleza 14:00 Jef vs Nagano 14:30 Regina vs Mynavi 18:00
Yeah, I'd say Japan is the underdog, North Korea the favourites. But victory will be all the sweeter because of it.
I had an utterly incredible dream last night in which Japan crushed DPR Korea by 3-0 (Kashimura '2, Hayama '81, and Matsukubo '90).
There is no way I'm going to criticize Young Nadeshiko if they lose to DPRK. They exceeded all my expectations in this tournament by far and now are facing huge concrete wall of a team that is probably better selected and prepared than them. I may complain in comments during the match, but my overall assessment of Japanese performance at 2024 U20 Women's World Cup won't change a bit - it's a great success of brilliant pack of overachievers. 🇯🇵#U20日本女子代表 🔹準決勝 オランダ戦の舞台裏をお届け🎥世界の頂点へ🏆決勝も一緒に戦いましょう🔥試合は日本時間で9.23(月・祝)午前6時キックオフ予定です⚽️FIFA+にて無料でLIVE配信📱⚡️▶️https://t.co/3df9RUJBVi#U20WWC #夢への勇気を #jfa #daihyo #nadeshiko #サッカー日本代表 pic.twitter.com/ar09SmutKf— JFAなでしこサッカー (@jfa_nadeshiko) September 21, 2024
Today's result: WE League Albi 0-0 Cerezo Chifure 0-4 Beleza (KanNo, Yamamoto, OG, Hiwatari) Jef (Ohsaw) 1-2 Nagano (Okamoto, Takahashi) Regina (Takahashi, Kinga, Nakashima, Ueno) 4-1 Mynavi (Tsuda) I'm a Regina fan, but a little bit pleased with the goal of Mynavi's little Nadeshiko combination.
Tomorrow's games: WE League Nojima vs Ohmiya 14:00 Urawa vs Inac 16:00 Nadeshiko League Nippatsu vs Iga 14:00 Shizuoka vs Harima 15:00
This article, from the Nikkei Asia, is behind a paywall, so I’ll just paste the text here: ——————————————- 'Juche' in action: North Korea's U-20 women defy the soccer world After long isolation, team reaches World Cup final for showdown with Japan JOHN DUERDEN, Contributing writer September 21, 2024 09:30 JST LONDON — On Sunday, North Korea could defy the odds to record one of its greatest sporting achievements since the myth that former leader Kim Jong Il hit several holes-in-one in his first ever round of golf. In Bogota, Colombia’s capital, the country will face its old adversary Japan in the final of the U-20 Women’s World Cup. North Korea’s run in South America has taken the tournament by storm, and is especially surprising given that this success in soccer, the world’s most popular sport, follows an extended period of extreme sporting isolation for the hermit nation. North Korea’s women won the U-20 World Cup in 2006 and 2016. Its senior women’s team won three Asian titles in the first decade of the century, and reached the quarter final of the 2007 World Cup. But it felt like the country’s time as a major power in the women’s game had passed. As European and South American nations subsequently focused more on — and invested more in — the female game, North Korea struggled to maintain its position. At the 2011 senior World Cup, the team did not make it past the first round. In 2015, it was banned for testing positive for steroids during the 2011 tournament — a result blamed on deer musk glands used to treat players affected by a lightning strike. And In 2019, it failed to qualify. In 2023, the country did not even apply to qualify due to the country completely cutting itself off from the rest of the world during and after the global COVID-19 pandemic. There has been little soccer contact since. The last time the men’s senior team played a home game was in October 2019. Its 2-2 draw with Asian champion Qatar in September was originally scheduled to take place in Pyongyang but was instead played in Vientiane, capital of Laos. For the senior women, the last international game on home soil was in 2017. As well as the lack of games, what little international coaching there was in the country dried up. The Pyongyang International Football School was opened in 2013 as a result of the men’s poor showing at the 2010 World Cup. The country’s most promising young talent, both male and female, enrolled and played under Spanish coaches who returned home during lockdown. Despite the isolation, the country has produced a talented team of young women in what is seemingly a perfect example of “juche,” a central ideology of the North Korean government that stresses self-reliance and autonomy. “Women’s football is a highly promising sport in our country and the government is focussing on the development of women’s football,” said the U-20 team’s coach Ri Song Ho in Colombia. “From that perspective, perhaps our condition is much better, comparatively, than other countries, so we have a lot of benefits from that aspect.” The performances on the field have suggested that international preparation for major tournaments is not as vital as generally thought. The Under-20 team has gone from strength to strength. North Korea won the Asian Cup in March coming from behind to defeat Japan 2-1 in the final. At the 24-team U-20 World Cup, the team thrashed Argentina 6-2 and Costa Rica 9-0 on its way to topping its group. It has won all six games so far. In the knockout stage, it defeated Austria 5-2 and then overcame Brazil 1-0 to set up a semifinal against the U.S. — its nemesis — that ended in the same result. With 24 goals scored and just four conceded, the victories have been well earned. “Individually, every player has exceptional technique with mastery in all skills,” Carolina Pineda of FIFA’s Technical Study Group said after watching the team in the group stage. “They are quite unique in that all players seem to be able to play at the same level. Whether they receive the ball or not, all players are playing an active role, and this continues even after substitutions are made. Nothing seems to stop their momentum. It was amazing to watch.” It is not just the players. There has been praise for coach Ri, who took the job in 2023, especially in regard to his innovative decisions. Ri has, unusually, made first-half tactical substitutions in four of the six games so far. “I need to maintain the player’s condition. When we see a player who is performing at 90% capacity then I will remove them and bring in others to improve their condition,” he said. Whatever happens on Sunday against Japan, it looks like North Korea’s women are back as a global force. —————-