RIKO UEKI and Maika Hamano scored first-half goals to set Japan on course for a 4-1 victory over South Korea today and a spot in the Women’s Asian Cup final against Australia.

Japan dominated the semi-final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia against a South Korea line-up that edged the Australians on goal difference in the group stage, after both teams finished with two wins and a draw apiece.

Japan thought they had gone ahead 3-0 before half-time with Aoba Fujino finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review.

Asia’s top-ranked team at number seven in the Fifa list, Japan increased its tally to 27 goals in the continental championship when veteran defender Saki Kumagai headed in from Momoko Tanikawa’s swinging corner kick in the 75th.

The Nadeshiko finally conceded a goal for the first time in the tournament when Kang Chae-rim turned and fired in a right-foot shot from close range in the 78th.

Remina Chiba restored the three-goal buffer with a powerful strike to make it 4-1 in the 81st minute.

The final will be played on Saturday in Sydney.

Japan beat Australia in back-to-back finals in 2014 and ’18 but neither team reached the championship decider in 2022, when China edged South Korea in the final.

Australia has reached the championship match four previous times since joining the Asian confederation but has only claimed the title once, in 2010. Japan lost four finals before finally clinching the title in 2014 for the first time.

Japan is the only Asian team to have won the Women’s World Cup — beating the US on penalties in the 2011 final.

Advancing Australia

Sam Kerr scored the winner in the 58th minute to secure Australia’s 2-1 win in the first of the semi-finals over defending champion China, two years after losing in the World Cup semi-finals on home soil.

All four semi-finalists here have qualified automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The play-offs for the final two spots in Brazil are set to kick off on Thursday with Taiwan facing North Korea, while the Philippines take on Uzbekistan at the Gold Coast.