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Agence France-Presse

Maika Hamano scored the only goal as a formidable Japan battled past Australia to clinch a third Women’s Asian Cup title on Saturday in front of a record-breaking 74,357 fans in Sydney.
The Tottenham star hit a stunning long-range strike in the 17th minute at Stadium Australia to break Australian hearts and add to their continental crowns from 2014 and 2018.
Those finals were also against Australia, and also ended 1-0.
“I feel relieved, I think it was a 50-50 game just as I predicted,” Japan’s Greenlander coach Nils Nielsen said.
“It’s very difficult to play Australia in Australia and I have to say they made themselves proud.
“In the end, I’m just happy. The girls fought with everything they had.”

The edge-of-the-seat decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, reinforcing the growth in popularity of the women’s game.
This was around six times as many as the previous tournament record set in 2010 in China, with the final setting a new attendance record for a single game in tournament history.
The Asian Cup doubled as qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil next year, with Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, North Korea and the Philippines all making it through.
The Japanese team, stacked with English-based players, were invincible in their run to the final, fluid across the pitch and defending well to steamroll everyone in front of them.
While Australia proved a much tougher test, nothing could stop them as they accumulated 29 goals and conceded just one through their six tournament games to reinforce their status as Asia’s number one team.
“We had opportunities and they had a couple of opportunities too, it was a tight game,” dejected Australia coach Joe Montemurro said.
“But we were competing with the number six team in the world. Credit to the girls for their performance. It just wasn’t our night.”
Japan named an unchanged line-up from their 4-1 semi-final thumping of South Korea.
Australia made one change to the team that beat defending champions China 2-1 in the last four, with Wini Heatley preferred in central defence to Clare Hunt.
The hosts were composed at the start, looking to dictate the game, and Caitlin Foord should have scored on 11 minutes when Mary Fowler threaded a pass through inside the box.
But the unmarked Arsenal striker sent her shot straight into the arms of Japan keeper Ayaka Yamashita to miss a golden opportunity.

It proved costly, with Japan breaking the deadlock six minutes later when Tottenham midfielder Hamano collected the ball outside the penalty area and unleashed a 25-yard rocket that found the top corner.
Foord had another chance when she pounced on a sloppy clearance from Yamashita but failed to find the target from a tight angle, then scuffed another wide just before the break.
Japan were always a threat and West Ham’s Riko Ueki went close twice in as many minutes soon after the restart.
With the game on a knife-edge, Australia threw everything they had at Japan in a desperate attempt to find an equaliser as the crowd noise reached fever pitch.
Alanna Kennedy almost pulled off a late equaliser in the 88th minute, but despite intense pressure Japan were rock solid and absorbed the threat to cling on for the win.


Women’s Asian Cup: Japan beat Australia in final to claim continental title

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Women’s Asian Cup: Australia coach believes team able to ‘adapt’ in final against Japan

Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

Japan’s Saki Kumagai (centre) and her teammates celebrate with the trophy. Photo: AP



Japan celebrate after beating Australia in the final of the Women’s Asian Cup. Photo: AFP

Australia’s captain Sam Kerr collects her runners-up medal after the final. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong triathlete Oscar Coggins’ World Cup display sends message to Asian Games rivals

Oscar Coggins, here in action during last year’s National Games relay, delivered an “outstanding” display on Hainan Island. Photo: Eugene Lee

Andrew Wright (right) is warning Oscar Coggins there is work to do to add to his National Games medal this year. Photo: Eugene Lee

Cade Wright competing in the Asia under-23 mixed relay in Hong Kong last week. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong’s Haughey wins gold, silver at China Open as Australian McEvoy breaks world mark

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey won the 50m freestyle by a whisker at the China Open Swimming Championships, ahead of China’s Cheng Yujie. Photo: Handout

Siobhan Haughey also won silver in the 200m freestyle. Photo: Handout

Sport

Football

The decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, six times as many as the previous record


The decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, six times as many as the previous record.


Women’s Asian Cup: Japan beat Australia in final to claim continental title

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, six times as many as the previous record

The decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, six times as many as the previous record