Japan crushed a hapless Taiwan 11-0 yesterday to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the women's Asian Cup.
Norio Sasaki’s side completely demolished their opponents with nine of the goals coming in the second half as Taiwan collapsed.
After losing their opening Group B match to South Korea 3-1, three points were essential for Japan, who can still make the last four when they meet Australia in their final game tomorrow.
They took the lead in the 20th minute when Aya Sameshima’s cross into the area landed in the net with the goalkeeper wrong-footed. Japan added another nine minutes later when Michi Goto charged down an attempted clearance and crossed for Rumi Utsugi to rifle home from close range.
The second half was a lopsided affair, with the third goal coming on 51 minutes when Kozue Ando expertly fired home a free-kick from 23m, before Eriko Arakawa beat a defender and slotted the ball in soon after.
Further goals were never far away, with Utsugi drilling in a low effort and substitute Karina Maruyama quickly adding a sixth. The rout continued with another goal in the 76th minute by Goto. Two goals in a minute from Tomoe Kato and Goto again added to Tawainese misery before Maruyama and Yuki Nagasto sealed the emphatic win.
China and North Korea have already qualified for the semi-finals on Thursday.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday crashed out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, after going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16. World No. 7 Andreeva, who already has two titles under her belt this season, lost 6-3, 6-2 against the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in just over an hour. The 17-year-old Andreeva had defeated her elder sister Erika in the previous round on Wednesday, but Alexandrova quickly took control as she claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season. The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in February became the youngest winner of a WTA
RSS