12/09/2023【Feature】Amy Wai - AWF pretournament preview
Amy Wai is a current Hong Kong women's football player who has previously played in Albania and Thailand. She is now participating in the Asian Games under a different role.
China Determines to Compete Against Japan
Based on the past performances of Asian Games, the Japanese women's football team is considered the clear favorite for this edition of the competition. However, due to their recent participation in the Women's World Cup finals in August, where the players might not have fully recovered, it could be one of their concerns. Additionally, with the upcoming worries of the Paris Olympics qualifiers next month, there are reports suggesting that they might send some non-first team players to compete in the Asian Games. Therefore, lack of experience could be one of their weaknesses.
In previous World Cup events, the Japanese women's football team primarily adopted a formation with 5 defenders. Yet, since the level of the Asian Games is not quite on par with the World Cup, they might consider adjusting to a more aggressive formation.
The Chinese women's football team is also seen as a top contender for the championship in this edition of the competition. Apart from having the advantage of playing on home stadium, looking at their lineup, key players from the previous Asian Cup triumph such as Wang Shuang and Zhang Linyan are all present, indicating their strong determination to win gold medal in this year's Asian Games.
For the group stages, Group A teams are China, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. The development of Mongolian women's football is not mature, and the competition for the top spot is likely between China and Uzbekistan. The Chinese players are experienced and are in good shape, having recently played in the Women's World Cup. However, Uzbekistan has been training intensively throughout the year, so it remains to be seen if their training efforts can threaten China. Group B teams are Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and India. India's strength is considered third-tier in Asia, with a gap in skill compared to Chinese Taipei and Thailand. Thailand is focused on training players for the next Women's World Cup, so their squad is relatively young and less experienced than Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei, under the guidance of the new coach Chan Hiu Ming from Hong Kong, is expected to adopt a completely refreshed playing style.
Group C teams are North Korea, Singapore, and Cambodia. North Korea has not participated in international competitions since 2019. Singapore and Cambodia faced each other in the SEA Games in May, where Cambodia won 1:0. However, based on past records, North Korea's fundamental strength should allow them to secure the top position. Group D teams are Japan, Vietnam, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Japan is likely to secure the top spot of Group D. Vietnam, having just played in the Women's World Cup, has a chance to compete for the best second place to advance to the quarterfinals. Nepal and Bangladesh have similar strengths. Bangladesh's football development is relatively new, so they might not pose a significant threat to their group opponents.
Group E teams are South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Myanmar. South Korea is a top-tier team in Asia and stands out in this group. However, the Philippines have seen an improvement in their strength in recent years with several players who are playing European leagues joining the team. Myanmar's women's football development is slow. Nevertheless, they defeated the Philippines 1:0 in the SEA Games in May, so their head-to-head matches will likely depend on their performance on the day.
