Kolkata: Japan’s 11-0 win against India in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Perth on Saturday reflected where the countries are in their football journey. As the former world champions and twice winners of this competition cruised into the quarter-finals, India careered towards the exit having qualified to be among the continent’s top 12 teams for the first time. How India lift themselves against Chinese Taipei on Tuesday from the biggest defeat of the competition is possibly the only point of interest remaining in their campaign.
A contest between professional and part-timers is likely to be lop-sided. Not so lop-sided to be India’s fourth worst defeat, and the biggest since a 12-0 loss to China in 2003, they would have hoped especially after the spirited performance against Vietnam. But hope is not a strategy. In four minutes India found that out as Yuzuki Yamamoto curled a left-footer into the far corner.
What followed was Panthoi Chanu’s Elangbam’s goal being used for target practice as Manchester United’s Hinata Miyazawa (20, 35, 81) and substitute Riko Ueki (47, 50, 65)of West Ham, who scored with her first touch, notched up hattricks. Kiko Seike (45+5, 55) got a brace including a penalty and skipper and Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa (13) and Maya Hijikata (62) scored once each.
Japan scored six goals in the second half and if they didn’t get half-a-dozen before half-time it was because Elangbam denied Mina Tanaka twice with reflex saves in the 22nd minute.
The India goalie, one of the standout performers in the 1-2 loss against Vietnam, collected for the first time in the 15th minute. By then, with full backs Yamamoto and Miyabi Moriya camping near India’s penalty box, Japan were leading 2-0. Yamamoto is one of the four in the squad who are based in Japan. There are 16 who play in England’s Women’s Super League and three in National Women’s Soccer League, the top tier in the USA. India would have been under no illusions about what they were up against and it wasn’t just the 59 slots in the FIFA rankings between them and their opponents who are eighth.
Amelia Valverde, whose substitutions and tactical switches nearly fetched India a point on Wednesday, made three changes replacing Shilky Devi, Dangmei Grace and Nirmala Devi with Juli Kishan, Sarita Yumnan and Aveka Singh, who plays in Denmark, making her debut. Japan made nine changes from the side that beat Chinese Taipei 2-0. They had bombarded Chinese Taipei’s goal but had to wait till the second half to open the scoring and 90+2 for the second.
India tried to stay deep but were smothered by the women in white because they were a step slower. Remina Chiba made Yumnam chase a crooked shadow; Miyazawa had turned and begun running by the time Hasegawa’s back-heel took out Sweety Devi and reached her for the fourth goal. Clinical in their finishing, their passing choreographed, the way Japan popped up near their goal, India could have sworn that there are more than the requisite number allowed. The only time goalkeeper Chika Hirao was picked up by the television cameras was when the players shook hands.
By then the cameras had spotted Valverde with her glasses removed, palms covering her face. Never in six World Cup finals matches had the Costa Rican suffered so. The India head coach was soon encouraging her players who were brave even though this always felt like fighting missiles with machetes. If the right to dream of a World Cup was proof of how far India have come, this showed how far they have to go.
