Perth, March 6 A strong performance in their previous group match would certainly have boosted their confidence, but India's task will be challenging when they face a formidable Japan in their second match of the AFC Women's Asian Cup here on Saturday.
India conceded a goal in the final minutes, just three minutes before the final whistle, to suffer a 1-2 defeat to Vietnam and lose a valuable point in their opening Group C match on Wednesday.
Vietnam featured in the 2023 FIFA World Cup, and a spirited fight against them, along with an equalizing goal from debutant Sanfida Nongrum, would instill confidence among Amelia Valverde's team.
However, world number eight and two-time champions Japan will be a completely different side, vastly superior to the Indians. Valverde's task could be more about maintaining compactness and working on defensive resilience, while looking for counter-attacking opportunities.
Japan, the winners of the 2011 FIFA World Cup, made 87 entries into Chinese Taipei's penalty area in their previous match, and the Indian defence, led by captain Sweety Devi, will be extremely busy on Saturday.
India will also aim to limit the number of goals conceded from Japan, as goal difference could play a role in determining the third-ranked team in the group. Vietnam and Chinese Taipei will also face each other in another match on Saturday.
The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals. The four quarter-final winners will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
The losing quarter-finalists will compete in the playoffs for the two remaining direct spots allocated to the AFC for the World Cup. The two playoff losers will have another chance to qualify for Brazil via the playoff tournament.
India and Japan will meet at the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the third time, and the first since the group stage in 1999. Japan have won both encounters by 7-0 and 1-0 margins.
Valverde, however, expects her side to maintain the intensity they showed in their 1-2 defeat to Vietnam.
"The team is feeling very good. We had the advantage of having two days to recover and prepare for this important match against a good team like Japan," said Valverde ahead of Saturday's match.
"We know that Japan likes to dominate possession and play dynamically. We need to prepare our own game and aim to put up a strong performance, remaining competitive like we were against Vietnam."
She admitted that Japan would be a completely different side from Vietnam, and her players must learn to adapt to the situation.
"The game may demand tactical flexibility, and we will try to adapt accordingly. We need to focus our team's energy on controlling the match while adapting to what the situation demands, taking into account the characteristics of our opponents."
Japan were frustrated for long periods against Chinese Taipei before scoring two goals in the second half, and head coach Nils Nielsen expects his players to be sharper.
"We tried to build on the first match and focus on what areas can be improved. We are still in the process of building as a team. Our focus is on concentrating on each game and continuing the good work we showed in the first match," said Nielsen.
"I am confident that we can create chances against India. They are a strong team with great spirit, and although they were unlucky in their last game, we believe we can put them under pressure. To score, we must really commit and fight for every ball."
