The Nadeshiko must win or achieve a score draw to guarantee progression to the semi-finals and avoid becoming the first reigning champions to be eliminated at the group stage in the tournament’s history.

Anything less will mean the 2011 FIFA World Cup winners’ fate will rest on the result of Korea Republic’s concurrent match against Vietnam, with a variety of possible outcomes still on the table.

Five-time AFC Female Coach of the Year Takakura said she has the belief that her players will produce their best when it counts.

The East Asians head into Friday’s final Group B match against Vietnam needing a win to remain in the hunt for a top-two finish and progress to the knockout phase, something that will, however, be beyond them if the group’s other game between table-topping Australia and second-placed Japan ends in a score draw.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that should Australia and Japan share the spoils in a goalless draw, the Koreans would need to better the 4-0 win Japan notched against Vietnam on Matchday Two to be guaranteed a place in the last four.

Despite the cloud of doubt that hangs over his charges, Yoon is adamant that both he and his squad are focused purely and simply on the challenges which Vietnam are certain to pose.

Sam Kerr and Hayley Raso scored twice to open their respective Jordan 2018 accounts, while four other players found the back of the net in Australia’s biggest ever win at the tournament.

But while the Matildas will now top Group B if they defeat 2014 champions Japan on Friday, they could potentially be eliminated from the race for the semi-finals should they lose the crucial clash.

Vietnam’s defeat means their hopes of reaching final four have already been extinguished, but the Southeast Asians can still reach the playoff for fifth place, and a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with an improbable win over the Koreans.

The 90 minutes produced no Australian goals on Matchday One, but it took just seven minutes to find the back of the net this time, as Kerr got in behind the Vietnamese defence to tee up Kyah Simon for a simple finish.

Alanna Kennedy headed home Elise Kellond-Knight’s corner to double the lead, before Simon punished a dreadful goalkeeping error by Khong Thi Hang to provide Chloe Logarzo the easiest goal of her burgeoning international career and make 3-0 after 21 minutes.

Emily van Egmond took a break from pulling the strings in midfield to finish a lovely Australian move seven minutes later, before Kerr expertly headed home Kennedy’s diagonal cross to take the tally to five by half time.

 

A win would have secured passage to the final four, and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup for Japan, who could potentially be eliminated if they lose their final group stage match against Australia on Friday.

It was the second successive goalless stalemate involving the Koreans, who spent much of the early stages in the ascendancy, as the result ensured no team from Group B will go into the final Matchday assured of progression.

Asako Takakura selected a new-look Japanese outfit to the one that put four goals past Vietnam on Saturday, with five new faces in the line-up including Nahomi Kawasumi, who earned her first national team start in over two years.

Conversely, Korea Republic, started with all but one of the 11 who began their match against Australia, and Yoon Duk-yeo’s side started confidently, with Lee Min-a looking particularly dangerous as they took the game to the reigning champions.

The Koreans remained on the front foot for much of the first half and Lee had the period’s best sight at goal when she was found by Jung Seol-bin’s precise pass, only for the Japan-based attacking midfielder to fire over the crossbar from close range.

Nana Ichise's effort from a corner kick was Japan’s only shot at goal – compared to Korea Republic’s five – underlined the state of play as the teams went into the half-time break with the score at 0-0.

 

Having registered commanding wins in the last two meetings between the two sides – 3-1 in the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers, and 4-2 in last July’s US-based Tournament of Nations – injury-free Catley believes her side has the psychological advantage. 

“I’m not sure (if Japan will fear us) but I think there’s definitely a bit of a fear factor there because of what we bring in terms of our physicality,” she said.

“It’s something that we have over most of the Asian teams in terms of our speed, strength and ability to get there first, I think that’s pretty hard to defend against.”

Just prior to Australia’s big win, the two East Asians sides completed a stalemate, which creates a scenario where the Matildas will advance with a win or draw, but will likely be eliminated with a loss when they meet the Nadeshiko on Friday.

The Australians were aware of the result between their group rivals when they began their match at the Amman International Stadium, but it made no difference to their approach, according to the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Final hero.

“I don’t think it made it any easier on our behalf, the score of the other game,” she said.

“That happened before our match, but at the end of the day we wanted to win and we wanted to put a fair few goals away, and that was our main goal.

The Nadeshiko now find themselves in a position where a loss to Australia on Friday is highly like to see them eliminated at the group stage for the first time since 1981, but Takakura said her belief in her players has not waned.

“The Australian team is a very strong team in Asia now, and I fully understand the situation, but we’re never afraid of the teams we’re going against and we have such confidence that we can win,” she said.

“Australia are a strong team, for sure, but I don’t really think about who we’re playing against. We’re going to go and fight to get three points.”