The Japan women's team tamed Ghana 5-0 in their first game of the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan, which kicked off on 30 September, at Prince Mohammed International Stadium in Zarqa on 1 October.

While both teams looked for scoring chances, Japan had one first. In the 6th minute, TAKAHIRA Miyu got a loose ball after a corner kick and crossed it into the centre, where unmarked TAKARADA Saori threatened the opponents’ goal with a header. It didn't find the net, but as UEKI Riko commented it later, “we gained momentum by having a shot early in the game”, it gave the team confidence.

In the 7th minute, finding KANEKATSU Rio's vertical pass, Ueki became one-on-one with the Ghana goalkeeper and scored the much-awaited opener for Japan. This goal allowed the Japanese players to settle down and they began to overwhelm Ghana by connecting short passes. In the 18th minute, ENDO Jun reacted to a pass from KANNO Oto and fired a powerful shot with her left leg, posting the second goal for Japan. Furthermore, three minutes later, Endo slotted another shot into the net, extending their lead to 3-0.

Japan's surge didn't stop there. In the 26th minute, Ueki dribbled up the right side and cross it towards Takarada, who connected with a header and stretched their lead to 4-0. Japan did not cease attacking, and Ueki took a shot at goal, but her attempt was denied by the crossbar. They went into halftime with a four-goal advantage.

Unlike the first half, both teams played a much closer contest after the break. While Ghana tried to find a way to counter-attack by playing solid defence, Japan had tougher time finding scoring chances. But Japan only had a few careless mistakes, and they defended tenaciously after losing possession of the ball.

As coach KUSUNOSE Naoki said ‘his backline players didn't neglect covering’, when a first defender wasn't able to hold off the offensive player, someone else came in to stop the advance, preventing the opponents to create chances. Furthermore, by putting themselves in the line of the long-distance shots, the Japanese defenders reduced the risks of opponents’ scoring from range.

Then, in the 83rd minute, Takarada, receiving a pass from Kanno, fed substitute CHIBA Remina, who in turn scored, ensuring the win for Japan. Until the final whistle, they played with composure and posted a sweeping victory 5-0 against Ghana, earning three points in their first match of the tournament.

Match Details

Later that day, another group D match saw the United States defeat Paraguay 6-1 at the same venue. Despite the same points and goal difference, the United States stood on the top of the group on total goals.

Coach's and Players' Comments

KUSUNOSE Naoki, Coach (U-17 Japan Women's National Team)
We had game jitters entering the first match of the tournament, but Ueki gave us the first goal, which enabled us to play with composure thereafter. We intentionally moved the ball around, finding opportunities to break down the opponents’ defence, and, at the end of the play, the main striker(s) finished with the shot in the back of the net. That’s what we have asked ourselves since the Asian qualifiers, and we’ve been able to do it gradually. However, we struggled to cope with Ghana’s individual strengths in the second half. I believe the goals we scored in the first half were crucial in determining the result of the match.

FW #9 UEKI Riko (NIPPON TV MENINA)
On the first goal, Kanekatsu Rio and I shared the same vision. I was waiting for the chance to score when she fed me the pass. I am pleased that I scored the opener when we controlled the beginning of the match. In addition to scoring, I was able to get involved in the third and the fourth goals by assisting them, which will bring me some confidence. We were so ‘pumped up’ entering the tournament, and winning the first match was very important for the team.

DF #4 TAKAHIRA Miyu (JFA academy FUKUSHIMA)
We had a theme ‘connect passes accurately and score goals’ coming into this game. Occasionally I was a little rattled when I fed passes, but I kept playing and got used to the game physically. Thereafter, I was able to connect short passes, which led to our goals. It would have been even better if I did that from the beginning of the game. As a defender, I was paying attention to our line control. I think we performed well, doing things we have done in our practices. We had a big lead, but kept communicating with each other and maintained our concentration until the end, which was another good thing for us.

Evans ADOTEY, Coach（U-17 Ghana Women's National Team)
The first two goals we gave up early in the game hurt us. We wanted to play aggressively, not giving up goals, but after we allowed two goals in the first 10 minutes, we were forced to play defence mostly. We ended up losing 0-5, but we shouldn’t be completely demoralised from the loss today. In fact, I am content with the performance in the second half. Now we have to focus on the matches against the United States and Paraguay and make the best preparation possible. We want to prove ourselves in the upcoming games.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.