Berths for France 2018 wave in Asia

• Asian qualifier for France 2018 kicks off on 15 Oct
• Reigning universe champions Korea DPR among those aiming to qualify
• Hosts China aim to sign tellurian lapse

With women’s football a strongest footballing fit in Asia, all eyes from opposite a world’s biggest and many populous continent will be on a 2017 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship that kicks off on Sunday in Nanjing, China PR. The Asian showpiece also serves as a qualifier to subsequent year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France and unnecessary to say, a foe for a rights of representing Asia during a tellurian debate will be ferocious.

Featuring in a subordinate are 8 of Asia’s tip teams, who will conflict opposite any other for a 3 berths during France 2018. These teams are divided into dual groups of 4 with a tip dual finishers advancing to a semi-final stage. The dual semi-final winners will sign their places in a final and so a World Cup. The dual losing semi-finalists will, meanwhile, be left to contest for a remaining container by a third-place play-off.

Two-time universe champions Korea DPR are grouped alongside hosts China, Thailand and Uzbekistan. Holders Japan, for their part, are pitted opposite Korea Republic, Australia and Vietnam in what is expected to be a worse group.

The favourites
Having clinched their second tellurian pretension during a final year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea, Korea DPR enter Asia’s qualifier for France 2018 with their sights resolutely bound on some-more than only earning a place during a FIFA tournament’s subsequent edition. They have, indeed, reached a contest final on 4 occasions during that they prevailed only once – in 2007. Their ambitions will, undoubtedly, be to recapture a Asian pretension after a decade.

Of course, they contingency keep heedful of Japan, arguably a tournament’s many successful team. Korea Republic are another side some-more than able of ascent a critical plea for a championship, deliberation that they prevailed opposite their northern peninsula neighbours in a 2013 final. Hosts China, underneath Dutch manager Hesterine de Reus, will gangling zero to sign their lapse to a tellurian finals, carrying missed out on a place during Papua New Guinea 2016.

The same can be pronounced of Australia, who find to lapse to a universe theatre for a initial time given 2006. Even Thailand are a side no group should blink given a quick swell they have done over new years, while a puzzling Uzbekistan are eyeing breakthrough qualification.

China bound✈️ Let’s qualify. #U20WWC #France2018 #YoungMatildas pic.twitter.com/jKEHKqvjV3

— Ellie Carpenter (@CarpenterEllie) October 9, 2017

Players to watch
Korea DPR will demeanour to their top-striker Ri Haeyon as they aim to open brightly opposite Thailand. Bossing a midfielder for Japan are a span of gifted hopefuls in Fuka Nagano and Honaka Hayashi, both of whom accost from Urawa Red Diamonds. Having finished a gift to a Asian championship as a top-scorer with 10 goals, Remy Siemsen’s goal-scoring form will be pivotal if Australia are to go through. Featuring for China are a iota of a patrol that won bullion during a Girls’ Football Tournament during a 2014 Youth Olympic Games Nanjing, with brazen Zhao Yujie and winger Jin Kun a many notable. 

The stat
4 – The party of Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic and China have seemed in any of a past 8 editions. Japan have valid to be a tournament’s many successful group as four-time champions. Korea Republic have, meanwhile, carried a prize twice while China and Korea DPR have any won one continental pretension apiece.

Did we know?
While all 8 contestants are no strangers on a Asian scene, Uzbekistan and Vietnam have never competent for a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/u20womensworldcup/news/y=2017/m=10/news=berths-for-france-2018-beckon-in-asia-2913681.html