India outplayed Chinese Taipei 3-1 to keep their knockout hopes alive at the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup at the Pathum Thani Stadium
It was the Indian’s first win in Group C, but they will have to wait for the deciding Group B match between Uzbekistan and Jordan to confirm a quarter-final stage spot as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Chinese Taipei’s Liao Jie-Ning had the first shot at goal in the second minute when she came down the left unchecked, but the midfielder dragged her shot wide of the right post from the edge of the area.
The East Asian side’s forward momentum left gaps in their defence, allowing India’s Anju Chanu and Sulanjana Raul to both rattle keeper Jian Yu-Jie within the span of a minute, while Lhingdeikim Kipgen ghosted past the defence in the 15th minute only to volley straight at the custodian.
Liao forced a great save from India’s second-choice keeper Ribansi Jamu in the 20th minute when she capitalised on consecutive defensive errors to fire from inside the area, with Jamu instinctively reaching out and pushing her shot away.
India’s persistence paid off in the 26th minute as Bhumika Khumukcham’s shot from outside the six-yard area took a deflection off forward Huang I-Pin and, with Jian caught off-position, crashed into the top left corner.
Sibani Devi needed no assistance, however, in doubling India’s advantage eight minutes later when off a cross by Shubhangi Singh, she burst down the left and fought off a helpless Huang for the ball before sending a brilliant first-timer past a diving Jian.
Jamu made another fine save in the 40th minute by tipping over skipper Li Chun-Mei’s thunderous free-kick from 35 yards out to maintain her side’s two-goal lead going into the break.
Chinese Taipei laid siege on India’s goalmouth in the second half but Fu Chih-Ling, Chuan Tzu-Yu and Lo Yu-Hsiu all failed to convert their chances while Thoibisana Chanu and Devi squandered their attempts at the other end.
Jian made timely saves from Pooja, Devi and Neha Sillay to prevent India from extending their lead, but the South Asian side sealed the win when they were awarded a 87th-minute penalty for Lin Pin-Hsin’s handball, with Devi making no mistake from the spot.
Chinese Taipei pulled one back three minutes into stoppage time through forward Kao Hsin, but it proved too little, too late.
Meanwhile, Japan sealed top spot in Group C with a 5-2 defeat of Australia at the Nonthaburi Stadium.
The six-time champions will now face either the third place side from Group A or B, while Australia will take on the Group B winners
Japan threatened early, with Mao Itamura racing down the left in the fifth minute from Rinka Higuchi’s through ball, but she could not get the better of defender Rubi Maye Sullivan, who cleared the danger from outside the six-yard box.
The duo caused another scare for Australia in the 12th minute when Itamura surged forward to meet Higuchi’s cross, but after outpacing several defenders, the number 10 sent her effort wide to the right.
Itamura continued to apply pressure and almost broke through in the 20th minute when Shelby McMahon fumbled while attempting to clear her effort, but Australian goalkeeper Ilona Melegh came to the rescue and gathered the ball safely.
Melegh remained busy between the sticks as Japan continued to press, with further attempts from defenders Mone Sato and Yuna Aoki.
The Matildas finally had their first real chance in the 37th minute when Peta Trimis’s cross from the right flank found Skye Halmarick in the centre of the box, but her effort was denied by Japan goalkeeper Uruha Iwasaki.
But just two minutes later, Alexander Epakis’s side took the lead when Avaani Prakash received Halmarick’s short pass, evaded three Japanese defenders and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
Japan, however, did not have to trail for long as just seconds before the half-time whistle, Noa Fukushima made the most of Itamura’s long-range pass, firing a diagonal shot into the bottom right corner to restore parity.
Seven minutes after the restart, Japan went ahead as Miyu Matsunaga set up Fukushima, who beat Melegh at the goalmouth in a one-on-one situation to find the back of the net for the second time.
Five minutes past the hour mark, Natsumi Tago added the third for Japan after Matsunaga intercepted Sullivan’s pass to Alexia Apostolakis and played it through to the number 11, who calmly buried the ball into the centre of the net.
Continuing to apply pressure on the 2024 semi-finalists, Akira Ijiri’s side almost added another in the 73rd minute when Fukushima’s cross from the right found substitute Anon Tsuda inside the box, but the striker sent her shot over the crossbar.
Miki Kimura added the fourth in the 80th minute, striking from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner, and four minutes later, she struck again, meeting Tamami Aso’s corner on the left side of the box and curling her effort past Melegh.
Australia pulled one back a minute later when Prakash’s lateral pass from a tight angle on the right found Daisy Brown, who converted from close range.
