NEWS

Japan got off to a good start to the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup by coming from behind to beat the United States 3-2 in their opening game on Thursday in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Japan went behind three minutes into the game when Vicki DiMartino slotted the ball home after a mistake by Japan goalkeeper Saki Nakamura.
But Japan used their fast-paced passing game to get back into the match. Midfielder Chiaki Shimada hit the bar in the 12th minute, and when she repeated the trick, forward Mana Iwabuchi was on hand to fire in the rebound for the equalizer.
The Americans went ahead again in the 51st minute through Kristie Mewis, but midfielder Natsumi Kameoka fired in a long-range shot to bring the scores level again in the 68th minute.
Six minutes later, substitute forward Kei Yoshioka connected with an Akane Saito cross for the winner.
Japan will next play France on November 2. France downed Paraguay 6-2 in their first match to take the lead in Group C on goal difference from Japan.
“I’m very pleased with the win over the United States, who are one of the top teams in the world. But I’m not surprised,” Japan women’s Under-17 coach Hiroshi Yoshida said.
“Before the game, I told our players to play confidently and put into practice what we have worked on, but there were periods, like in the first half, when we couldn’t take control of the game and we gave up a goal through an error.”
Yoshida added, “We’ll play our style of football in our next game against France. We’ll take things one game at a time and try hard to get through the group stage.”
In the 16-team tournament, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, which will take place on November 8 and 9. The semifinals will be held on November 13, the match for third place and the final will take place on November 16.