Japan Women — China Women, Asian Games Women

China Women beat Japan Women 3:0 in the Asian Games on Tuesday evening. The hosts had been unbeaten through two previous matches, winning both. The visitors shared that record, though their form looked different in practice.

By then Japan had kept three clean sheets on the spin against weaker opposition. Three 3:0 victories and one 3:1 win suggested a comfortable campaign. China's recent results told a similar story, with four wins from five games and a setback against Thailand.

And here's the thing — we had backed Japan for victory with sixty-nine per cent confidence. The match went another way entirely. The high line was picked apart, and Japan never recovered. One mistake ends it when you're playing at this level.

Both sides sat joint top of the table with six points from two games. The result shifts that balance considerably. China now carry momentum into the next fixture, while Japan face a reckoning.

The scoreline leaves the hosts with a point to make. The goal difference matters in knockout tournaments, and this one has turned sharply against them.