🏏 Wed, 4 Mar 2026 14:00 JST
Japan Women
vs
Chinese Taipei
Positions estimated (no formation data from the API)
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Japan open their AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign against Chinese Taipei with something close to a first-choice side. Ayaka Yamashita (30, Manchester City) starts in goal, Yui Hasegawa (29, also Manchester City) anchors the midfield and Mina Tanaka (31, Utah Royals) leads the line, giving the XI a distinctly European and NWSL flavour.
- The centre-back pairing of Moeka Minami and Hana Takahashi blends overseas polish with domestic solidity. Minami, 27 and 171cm, won back-to-back Serie A Femminile titles after joining AS Roma in 2022 and moved permanently to Brighton in 2025, while Takahashi is Urawa Reds Ladies' defensive cornerstone, known for duel-winning and accurate distribution.
- Both full-backs are attack-minded and based abroad. Risa Shimizu, 29 and a converted forward, followed spells at West Ham and Manchester City with a 2025 loan to Liverpool and brings pace and crossing quality from right-back. Hikaru Kitagawa, 28, began her overseas career at BK Häcken via INAC Kobe and marked her Everton debut with a long-range strike.
- Fuka Nagano and Yui Hasegawa form the spine of Japan's midfield. Nagano, 26 and a defensive midfielder by trade, habitually drops between the centre-backs to help her side build out, and she has scored at Anfield for Liverpool. The 155cm Hasegawa manipulates possession with the close control that made her one of the WSL's outstanding midfielders; her ball-winning has sharpened since joining City.
- Japan's advanced midfield line is startlingly young. Momoko Tanikawa, 22, came through JFA Academy Fukushima, is genuinely two-footed and scored in three consecutive Bundesliga games for Bayern. Aoba Fujino, 22, swapped Beleza for Manchester City in 2024 on the strength of her acceleration and shooting, and Maika Hamano, 21, won multiple WSL titles at Chelsea after leaving INAC Kobe and is now building minutes at Tottenham.
- Mina Tanaka provides the experience up front. The 164cm striker was a prolific scorer for Beleza and INAC Kobe, spent time in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen and now plays for Utah Royals. Her drifts into the half-spaces and reliable hold-up play are designed to open the channels that Japan's young second line can run into.
- The bench offers two contrasting centre-back options. Saki Kumagai, 35, is a 2011 World Cup winner who lifted consecutive UEFA Women's Champions League titles at Lyon and also served Frankfurt, Bayern and Roma. Toko Koga, by contrast, is 21: she signed a four-year deal at Tottenham from Feyenoord in 2025 and was named player of the match on debut.
- Japan's attacking substitutes carry real end product. Hinata Miyazawa, 26, was the 2023 World Cup Golden Boot winner and plays as a left-footed wide forward for Manchester United. Kiko Seike, 29, completed a WE League treble of top scorer, MVP and Best XI before scoring a hat-trick on her WSL debut for Brighton, and Remina Chiba, 26, once struck a four-minute hat-trick off the bench for Frankfurt.
- Chinese Taipei line up with Chen Yu-Chin (21) and Pu Hsin-Hui (12) furthest forward, supported by a midfield including No.10 S. Matsunaga and No.9 Hsu Yi-Yun. Chang Chi-Ian, Huang Ke-Sin and Su Sin-Yun make up the defensive unit in front of goalkeeper Wang Yu-Ting, with forwards Ting Chi and He Jia-Shiuan held in reserve for a counter-attacking approach.