🏏 Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:30 JST
Japan Women
vs
Chinese Taipei
3-5-2 vs 3-4-3 ※ estimated
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Matchday three of the group stage at the Asian Games women's tournament, back at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa with a 19:30 local kick-off. Japan played Thailand here on 14 September and Vietnam on 17 September, so this closes out three matches in eight days at the same ground and ends their group phase.
- Japan's registered squad does not contain a single one of the 26 senior players carried in this site's profiles, a list headed by Saki Kumagai, Yui Hasegawa, Hinata Miyazawa and Riko Ueki. Michihisa Kano, who has led this particular selection since the two April fixtures in the United States and the June meeting with South Africa, remains in the dugout for a group that offers rare international minutes.
- The goalkeeping duties have now been shared out completely: No. 23 S. Ohba started against Thailand on 14 September, No. 1 N. Asano took over against Vietnam on 17 September, and No. 12 S. Fukuda gets the third group game. All three keepers in the tournament squad therefore start once, a deliberate way of seeing everyone in competitive conditions inside a compressed schedule.
- Kano returns to the 3-5-2 he used in the opener and changes five of the eleven from the Vietnam game. In come No. 9 M. Ueno, No. 2 S. Suzuki, No. 4 W. Goto, No. 22 Y. Nakashima and goalkeeper No. 12 S. Fukuda, while Vietnam starters No. 19 F. Mizuno, No. 18 H. Yumura, No. 20 A. Tsujisawa and No. 13 A. Kuwahara drop to the bench.
- Four players have now started all three group matches: No. 11 C. Kamiya, No. 15 J. Ito, No. 7 M. Hamada and No. 10 Y. Narumiya. Amid heavy rotation from game to game, that quartet has never been left out and effectively forms the spine of this selection. No. 14 Y. Shiokoshi and No. 17 S. Takarada make it two starts in a row after coming in against Vietnam.
- The back three is No. 2 S. Suzuki, No. 4 W. Goto and No. 22 Y. Nakashima. Goto appeared off the bench in both the Thailand and Vietnam matches and finally starts at the third attempt, while Nakashima returns after starting the opener and watching the Vietnam game from the bench. No defensive combination has been repeated across the three fixtures.
- Chinese Taipei set up in a 3-4-3. When these teams met on 4 March at the AFC Women's Asian Cup they lined up 3-5-2, and the man in charge has changed too: Hiu Ming Chan led them that day, whereas Prasobchoke Chokemor takes this tournament. Pushing three forwards up against Japan's back three, their ability to stretch the pitch will decide how much they can create.
- Seven of the eleven who started against Japan in March are named again. Goalkeeper No. 1 Wang Yu-Ting keeps her place along with No. 22 Huang Ke-Sin, No. 20 Chen Ying-Hui, No. 17 Chen Jin-Wen, No. 14 Wu Kai-Ching, No. 9 Hsu Yi-Yun and No. 21 Chen Yu-Chin. Where Japan have replaced their entire selection in six months, Chokemor fields a familiar core.
- There are changes as well. Pan Yen-Hsin, a No. 24 substitute back in March, wears 13 here and is promoted to the eleven, while No. 7 M. Wakabayashi, No. 8 M. Tanaka and No. 6 T. Chuan were not in the matchday party for that Asian Cup meeting at all. Going the other way, March starters S. Matsunaga (No. 10) and Chang Chi-Ian (No. 2) begin on the bench.
- The front three is No. 7 M. Wakabayashi, No. 8 M. Tanaka and No. 21 Chen Yu-Chin. Chen Yu-Chin also started against Japan in March as part of a front two, making this a second meeting with a Japanese back line in six months. Attacking options No. 11 He Jia-Shiuan, No. 15 Tseng Yun-Ching and No. 19 Su Yu-Hsuan wait on the bench for the closing stages.