Sydney: By the time Saki Kumagai scored to make it 3-0 on Wednesday, it was clear her Japan team was going to beat South Korea and feature in a final against Australia for the third time in four Women’s Asian Cup tournaments.
Riko Ueki opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Maika Hamano squeezed a right-foot strike between the near post and the goalkeeper in the 25th to give Japan a 2-0 halftime lead. Kumagai and Remina Chiba added second-half goals as Japan converted a glut of possession and field position into a lopsided 4-1 semifinal win at Sydney’s Stadium Australia over
the 2022 runner-up.