Asian Powerhouses Stamp Their Authority At The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

For just the second time in the tournament’s history and the first time in 18 years, both contestants of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final are Asian sides. Japan have equalled Germany’s record of reaching three consecutive finals, while North Korea will equal their record of four final appearances overall.

Both sides have been on a roll in the tournament having won all their matches with a combined tally of 42 goals scored and just six conceded, so the final will really be a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

Irresistible North Korea

North Korea have won 10 consecutive fixtures in 2024, only drawing their opener at the Asian Cup against China. Since then, they have scored 36 goals and kept seven clean sheets en route to a potential double.

Ri Song-ho’s side have passed all sorts of tests with flying colors so far. They kicked things off with a couple of statements of intent in their opening group games, defeating Argentina 5-2 before putting nine past Costa Rica. They rounded off the group stage with a two-goal win over would-be semifinalists Netherlands and carried the momentum into the knockouts with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Austria in the Round of 16. Their two subsequent matches were far tougher as they edged out one-goal wins against Brazil and the United States, showcasing their ability to grind out wins against the world’s strongest teams besides blowing away weaker opposition.

The key to North Korea’s versatility lies in their style of play. They are not necessarily imposing but can suffocate opponents as their 4-4-2 block does not give up territory easily and squeezes teams in their own half. They attack in a pretty direct and rather relentless manner, wearing down all sorts of defenses.

Of course, it is the players who win games, so North Korea have some difference-makers in their side too. No one has stood out more than 17-year-old striker Choe Il-son, who is the tournament’s joint top-scorer with 15 goals.

Clinical Japan

Japan might not have won all of their matches by huge margins, but they have been absolutely clinical at the crunch time. The Young Nadeshiko have conceded just two goals in six games, both of which were late on in matches they had effectively wrapped up by then. They too have a player at the top of the tournament’s scoring charts in Maya Hijikata.

The 20-year-old striker is up there despite failing to score in the last two matches, which isn’t entirely a problem for her side as they have been able to find goals from elsewhere. Center-back Hiromi Yoneda popped up with the winner against defending champions Spain in the quarter-final, after which a Manaka Matsukubo brace led to the Netherlands’ defeat in the quarterfinal.

Japan’s ability to tweak their formations from match to match has helped keep them in control for almost all their games, as their possession average of over 58% suggests. They have managed to keep a watertight defense this way while simultaneously breaking down opposition blocks with patient passing.

Asian Cup Final Rematch

When they face off in the final, North Korea and Japan will find that they have become quite well-acquainted this year. They played each other twice in the Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup, first in their final group match and again in the final.

North Korea won both encounters by a one-goal margin, though they had to come back from behind after conceding first in the final. Japan will want to show that they have learnt from those mistakes, and they will get no better occasion to do that than the final on Sunday.