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Nadeshiko Japan got their Olympic soccer qualifying campaign off to a good start by beating Thailand 3-0 in Jinan, China, on Thursday. Japan didn't field its strongest team and the first half as a lackluster affair, with no goals scored by either side.
After the break, Japan -- which won the women's World Cup in July -- kicked into gear. Nahomi Kawasumi and Tanaka Asuna scored goals, before Thai defender Kwanruethai Kunupatham deflected the ball into her own net.
Six nations are attending the 10-day round-robin tournament. Only the top two finishers will advance to next year's London Olympic Games.
© Japan Today
4 Comments
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smithinjapan
A pretty sad performance by the ladies, given that it was against Thailand. At least they won, though.
zabutonsenbei
In the first half, they played well, but they just didn't have that final pass and shot on goal. In the second half, with the addition of Aya Miyama, it seemed like they had found the missing piece. The lineup was very different from their world cup lineup, and I think it was a good idea to try out some new things in this game. On a side note, I was surprised at the result of the Australia vs North Korea game.
Howdy Doody
The Nadeshiko did quite well considering they were clearly without their best team. In the end, Japan and North Korea should be the favorites to book tickets to London, with maybe only Australia having a chance to upset those two teams.
lostrune2
5 games in 10 days?