Japan and Vietnam open Asian Cup campaigns with wins

[p]Midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanikawa-momoko/SIzo14hR/"]Momoko Tanikawa[/a] latched onto a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/takahashi-hana/xE6tEO18/"]Hana Takahashi[/a] ‌ball and finished coolly in the 61st minute ‌to break the deadlock. A powerful header from substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/seike-kiko/jNqN4a5S/"]Kiko Seike[/a] added the second in stoppage time.[/p][p]The ‌Nadeshiko, looking to reclaim the title ⁠they won back-to-back ‌at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Cups, dominated possession ​but were denied more goals by a combination of resolute defending and Taiwan goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wang-yu-ting/jD9usPoG/"]​Wang Yu-ting[/a].[/p][p]Taiwan, three-times Asian champions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, parked all 11 ⁠players behind the ​ball for most of the game and had no attempts on goal.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vietnam/8I9Z6Cti/"]Vietnam[/a] took the lead after half an hour when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nguyen-thi-bich-thuy/ARjUjStG/"]Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy[/a], ‌who had hit the crossbar earlier, sneaked up behind Indian defenders to find [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thai-thi-thao/rkAmLRP9/"]Thai Thi Thao[/a], who set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thi-van-su-ngan/6Xjwymeh/"]Van Su[/a] for a curling finish into the top corner.[/p][embed guid="c237ce5e-b9de-4a4a-a126-e3dcca238ebc" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drf8V2S9yt4" social-type="youtube" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/roU6mwR8/"]India[/a] equalised in the second half when substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nongrum-sanfida/phbBI4jg/"]Sanfida Nongrum[/a] chipped a left-footed shot over the keeper, scoring seven minutes into her international debut.[/p][p]But the night ‌ended in disappointment for India, as Van Su's ​left-footed attempt nutmegged a defender to score ‌the winner for Vietnam four minutes into added time.[/p][p]Vietnam, quarter-finalists in the last tournament, will play Taiwan on Saturday, when face two-time champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ltLyWcnC/"]Japan[/a] at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.[/p]