Indonesia Women — Japan Women: 1:3, Asian Games Women

Japan beat Indonesia 3:1 in the Asian Games women's tournament on Thursday. The visitors took all three points and moved clear at the summit. The hosts remain second with the same number of points but a worse position.

We had called for a Japanese win before kickoff. The confidence was high because the away side had won their opening fixture 3:0 against Nepal. Indonesia's record in recent games showed inconsistency — a heavy loss to Thailand among their results. The gap in form was clear enough to spot.

Japan's recent run reads consistently. They beat Iran, Chinese Taipei and Vietnam by the same 3:0 scoreline. Their only blemish was a 1:3 defeat to Thailand on 29 August. Indonesia came into this match after a 3:0 win over Nepal on Wednesday. Both sides had only played once in the tournament.

The result keeps Japan at the top of the table. Indonesia sit one place behind with identical points. The goal difference will decide matters if the teams meet again. A win for either side would put them in control of the group.