Japan's second-half goal rush in the Asian Games women's soccer final against rival North Korea came as a pleasant surprise from a youthful squad with relatively little international experience.
In front of a crowd enthusiastically supporting North Korea, the Japanese up-and-comers pulled out an impressive 4-1 victory on Friday night in Hangzhou, China, including three goals in a six-minute span after the break.
Rather than the full Nadeshiko Japan national squad that features several overseas-based stars, the Asian Games team was drawn from the domestic WE League after the Asiad's one-year postponement amid the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a scheduling clash for national team players.