Japan upstaged a dominant North Korea 1-0 to emerge champions of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Thailand at the Thammasat Stadium.
Momoka Sano struck the winner as Akira Ijiri’s side clinched a record-extending seventh title, while defending champions North Korea were left to wonder how they lost a match they had largely controlled.
A slow-to start North Korea found their rhythm in the 12th minute when So Ryu Gyong’s strike from the edge of the area, pushed out by a diving Uruha Iwasaki, fell to Kang Ryu Mi, whose cut-back to Choe Rim Jong ended with the forward stabbing just wide of the right post from close range.
Iwasaki made an easier save from Rim Jong’s tentative shot from the right eight minutes later and collected a similar effort in the 29th minute from Ryu Gyong as North Korea gradually dominated possession.
The keeper went low to save a point-blank strike from skipper Pak Ok I in the 33rd minute as the Japan defence, scrambling to deal with their opponents’ continuous pressure, did just enough to go into the break still on level terms.
North Korea immediately went on the offensive in the second half, with Rim Jong’s floating shot from the right flying across the face of goal and Iwasaki making a timely interception to prevent Ryu Mi from reaching the ball.
Japan turned the match on its head, however, when Sano came from behind the North Korean defence in the 56th minute to head home Noa Fukushima’s cross off a free-kick past a despairing North Korea custodian Pak Ju Gyong.
Buoyed by the goal, Japan pushed forward only to be denied time and time again by their opponents’ steady backline. North Korea, on their part, went in search of the equaliser, with Ryu Mi’s attempt from the right in the 71st minute punched away by Iwasaki.
Substitute Choe Yon A’s shot from distance five minutes later off Iwasaki’s poor goal-kick almost caught the Japan custodian off her line, but the forward’s dipping shot hit the woodwork and went out of play.
The action then swung to the other end, with Konoha Nakamura’s shot blocked in a goalmouth scramble in the 84th minute and Hibari Hara picking up the loose ball only to balloon her shot over.
North Korea threw everything at their opponents’ goal in the dying minutes but Japan held firm to wrest the trophy away from the titleholders.
