Japan Name 18 for Women’s ACT: Goalkeeper Yu Kudo to Captain Sakura in Bhopal
A goalkeeper as captain. That’s the headline from Japan’s squad for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, and it tells you plenty about how the Sakura side see themselves heading to Bhopal.
Yu Kudo will lead the 18-player group, with Akira Takahashi as head coach. Kudo’s one of two keepers in the squad, alongside Aya Kawamura, and handing the armband to a goalkeeper is a statement. It says the defence comes first, and it says this is a settled, trusted group. Japan don’t do drama. They do structure, and they do it well.
The rest of the squad reads like a proper tournament group. Hanami Saito, Mayuri Horikawa, Nico Maruyama and Hiroka Murayama in defence. Maho Ueno, Mei Matsunami, Rui Takashima and Ani Hiramitsu through midfield. Akane Wada, Haruka Kawaguchi, Nanami Kaneko, Suzuna Yamamoto, Kokona Tanaka, Kazuha Kageyama, Risa Sasaki and Hana Morikawa up top and around it. Eighteen players, no passengers, and a coach who knows exactly what he wants from them.
Japan arrive as two-time champions, from 2013 and 2021, and they’re ranked 11th in the world. That’s the pedigree. The recent form is decent too. They were runners-up at the men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Mohali last week, and while that’s a different squad, it says something about where Japanese hockey is right now. The women’s side will fancy their chances in Bhopal, and nobody in the field will be looking forward to playing them.
The opener sets the tone
Japan start against South Korea on Thursday 19 November at 3:15pm IST, 2:45pm PKT. That’s a proper first test. Korea are champions from 2010, 2011 and 2018, and they beat Japan in plenty of big games over the years. Win that one and Japan are straight into the mix. Lose it, and they’re chasing from day one.
Then it comes thick and fast. Thailand on Saturday 21 November at 4:45pm IST, China on Sunday 22 November at 2:30pm IST, Malaysia on Tuesday 24 November at 4:45pm IST, and hosts India on Wednesday 25 November at 7:00pm IST, 6:30pm PKT. The India game is the one circled on every calendar in Bhopal. India are defending champions, they’ve won the last two editions, and they’ll have a full house behind them. Japan against India, under lights, on the last day of the round robin. That’s the game.
The semi-finals are on Friday 27 November, the bronze and final on Saturday 28 November. Japan’s target is simple: finish in the top four, then take their chances. They’ve got the experience, they’ve got a captain who sees the whole game from the back, and they’ve got a coach who’s been here before.
For our money, Japan are the dark horses in Bhopal, and that’s exactly where they like to be. India and China will take the headlines. Japan will just quietly go about their business, and if the corners click and Kudo has a big week, they can beat anyone in this field.
