Nadeshiko Japan qualified for the Women¡¯s World Cup on Sunday with a 7-0 Asian Cup quarterfinal win against Thailand in Navi Mumbai, India.
The tournament is doubling as a qualifier for next year¡¯s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Japan, ranked 13th in the world and aiming for its third straight Asian championship, opened the scoring on the first of Yuika Sugasawa¡¯s four goals.
¡°Qualifying for the World Cup was our minimum target here,¡± said the 31-year-old, who entered as an early substitute for injured starter Mina Tanaka. ¡°I want to do my best so we can win the semifinal and final.¡±
Thailand, ranked 38th in the world, had just 14 players available for the game after a rash of coronavirus infections hit the squad.
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