The Japan Football Association thought it had found a straightforward path to building long-term momentum for women¡¯s soccer in the country.
But after Monday¡¯s decision to withdraw their candidacy to host the 2023 FIFA Women¡¯s World Cup, the JFA¡¯s ¡°hop-skip-jump¡± strategy has suffered two crucial stumbles well before a ball has been kicked.
The road envisioned by JFA President Kozo Tashima and the rest of this team revolved around three milestone events.
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