AFC U16: DPR Korea 0-1 Japan

Nanjing: Ruka Norimatsu powered home a stoppage-time header to earn Japan a 1-0 victory over DPR Korea in their opening match of the AFC U-16 Women's Championship on Thursday.

The Koreans had the better of the chances at the Jiangning Sports Centre, with Ri Un-sim hitting a post and Kim So-hyang miscuing in front of an open goal.

But Japan snatched victory seconds before the final whistle as Norimatsu met a right-wing corner to score.

These two teams are strongly fancied to fill two of the top three places in the six-team round-robin tournament which earn spots at  next year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, but Japan are now firmly in the box seat at this early stage.

DPR Korea were the first to threaten and a Ri Hyang-sim's cross from the right broke to Kim Phyong-Hwa, but her shot was charged down.

At the other end, Japan captain Yui Narumiya raced down the left and fired in a low cross which was scrambled clear at the near post.

Fireworks started going off outside the stadium midway through the half, but both sides were struggling to spark on the pitch.

Choe Hyang-mi blazed over the bar when the ball dropped to her unmarked on the edge of the area before Ri Un-sim went desperately close in the dying minutes of the first half.

The striker's shot from just outside the area was powerful and had goalkeeper Chika Hirao beaten, but cannoned back off the left-hand post.

DPR Korea were in the ascendancy and Kim So-hyang had a golden chance soon after the break.

Hirao failed to claim the ball and presented her with an open goal, but with the ball bouncing she missed her kick at the vital moment.

Kim Phyong-Hwa headed straight at Hirao as Hwang Yong-bong's side continued to look the most likely scorers, but they were almost undone from a corner.

The delivery from the right picked out Sumida unmarked in the middle six yards out, but she could only direct her header straight at keeper Rim Yong-hwa.

Japan were still struggling to carve out chances from open play, though, and Sasaki let her frustrations show with a late tackle on Choe which earned her a yellow card.

But Hiroshi Yoshida's team were celebrating soon after following just about the last action of the game.

Norimatsu met a right-wing corner with a perfect header which gave Rim no chance.

Yoshida presents case for defence

Nanjing: Japan coach Hiroshi Yoshida praised his side's resolute defence as the key to their last-gasp 1-0 win of DPR Korea in their opening match of the of the AFC U-16 Women's Championship on Thursday.

DPR Korea had the better of the possession and the chances, but could not make them count and their disappointment was compounded when Ruka Norimatsu headed home a stoppage-time winner at the Jiangning Sports Centre.

There was no time for their opponents to respond as the final whistle went almost immediately.

"It is a good way to win a football match," Yoshida said.

"I am very happy. For me it would have been acceptable to draw, but our players never gave up until the very end.

"That's why we got the winner.

"Maybe the main factor was our defence. They resisted DPR Korea well. They had many chances to score but we managed not to concede a goal."

Yoshida claimed there were plenty of lessons for his side to learn from the display, though.

"I am still not satisfied with our performance," he added.

"We made too many mistakes passing out from the back and in defensive midfield. We need to improve on that.

"DPR Korea kept the ball for longer periods than us and so our team suffered a lot."

Victory put Japan on course for a top-three finish in the six-team round-robin tournament which earns a spot at  next year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

They got lucky, though, with Ri Un-sim hitting a post in the first half and Kim So-hyang miscuing in front of an open goal in the second as chances went begging for DPR Korea.

And their coach Hwang Yong-bong admitted he did not see the defeat coming.

He said: "At first I was confident about winning the game because our team's play was better than theirs, and in the last minute even though I thought things were not going so well I thought we would at least draw.

"But it was very unfortunate the sudden goal at the end.

"I am not too satisfied with the way we played. It was OK, but the team did not show fully what we can do.

"But it was just our bad luck not to score. We missed very good chances maybe two or three times so that's just bad luck."