The EAFF E-1 Football Championship women’s tournament kicks off on Tuesday 19 July at the Kashima Soccer Stadium with host nation Japan entertaining their rivals South Korea.
This competition often serves as a stage for fringe players to step into the limelight and leave a lasting impression on their respective head coaches and supporters alike. Here we will take a look at five players poised for a breakout tournament.
Zhang Linyan (China PR)
Forward
At the tender age of just 21, Zhang already has a Women’s AFC Asian Cup title under her belt after the Steel Roses lifted the trophy in India earlier this year.
The EAFF E-1 will be her last international tournament before departing for her new club, Grasshopper Zurich, so she will no doubt be looking to make her mark on East Asia’s elite in Japan.
Ball control, agility, a low center of gravity and decisiveness are but a few of this young forward’s core attributes. She is also clinical in front of goal, as demonstrated by her equalising goal against South Korea in the Asian Cup final.
Fans of the Steel Roses can expect her to play off of veteran striker Wang Shanshan, both creating and scoring goals.
Fuka Nagano (Japan)
Midfielder
This dynamic playmaker has stolen WoSo headlines recently with her illustrious move to North Carolina Courage in the NWSL.
Since taking the helm back in November, Nadeshiko head coach Futoshi Ikeda has started Nagano in eight of the nine games he has managed thus far. His unwavering trust in the player is likely to have stemmed from her role in his U20 World Cup winning squad of 2018.
In the absence of star players such as Mana Iwabuchi and Yui Hasegawa, Nagano is likely to be a prime source of creativity at this tournament. She will likely play as a number eight, feeding incisive passes to the front two or out to the wide players.
She also has a keen eye for a ranged shot and will not hesitate to take the opportunity.
Son Hwa-yeon (South Korea)
Forward
With 38 international caps Son is hardly a new-found talent. Typically she will play as a traditional centre forward, often scoring tap-in goals with her clinical finishing.
However, in his latest tactical reshuffle, head coach Colin Bell has moved veteran playmaker Ji So-yun from her typical center midfield position into the ‘number nine’ role, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Lee Geum-min and Son Hwa-yeon flanking as a front three. It will be interesting to see how this new combination impacts Son’s game.
Playing as a wide forward, the Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels player will have a key role in creating goals as well as scoring them. She will be well poised to latch onto the second or third ball of an attack initiated by veteran attacker Ji So-yun.
Her pressing efforts should also be noted and fans can expect to see her chasing down opposing defenders as well as retreating back to pitch in defensively.
Hana Takahashi (Japan)
Defender
The Nadeshiko’s regular starting centre backs, Saki Kumagai and Moeka Minami, have both been left out of this edition of the EAFF E-1 tournament.
When given a start, Takahashi has usually partnered alongside either of these two as the less experienced defender. In their absence she will assume a more commanding presence at the back, with her leadership and organizational qualities taking center stage.
The 22-year-old possesses all the ideal attributes of the modern centre back. Her positional awareness and physicality enable her to carry out defensive responsibilities soundly, while on the ball she has a sharp eye for a line splitting pass when playing out.
Her stature also gives her a heading advantage on set pieces and she may well chip in with an attacking contribution at some point during the competition.
Su Yu-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei)
Forward
This will be Su’s third major international tournament. Her last was this year’s Asian Cup where she notched three goals for the Blue Magpies.
With a firm eye on their Women’s World Cup inter-confederation play-off scheduled for February next year, head coach Kazuo Echigo will be eager to have the 21-year-old settled into his preferred starting lineup promptly.
Su has a natural instinct for goal. Her small stature allows her to turn sharply and make room for a viable shot. Seemingly she envisions her desired target in her head before pulling the trigger.
Her speed and agility will pose problems for any defender tasked with marking her at this tournament.
Listen to Episode 87 of The Asian Game Podcast
