Japan and New Zealand renew Women’s U-20 World Cup rivalry in Łodz

Japan begin their Women’s U-20 World Cup campaign against New Zealand on a ground where their previous meeting ended in a one-sided victory for the Japanese side.

The two teams meet for the third time in the competition when Stade Miejski ŁKS Łodz hosts the opening Group D fixture. Kick-off is scheduled for 13:00 GMT.

Japan hold the historical advantage ahead of the encounter, having won one of the previous two meetings. The other finished level, meaning New Zealand have yet to defeat their opponents at a Women’s U-20 World Cup.

Both previous matches were played in the finals of the tournament, and on each occasion Japan and New Zealand were drawn in the same group. Their first meeting came in 2012, when the sides shared four goals in a 2-2 draw.

New Zealand made the stronger start in that match, going ahead after 11 minutes before extending their lead four minutes later. Japan then fought back to secure a share of the points.

The most recent encounter took place at the 2024 Women’s U-20 World Cup. On that occasion, Japan produced a dominant attacking display and overwhelmed New Zealand 7-0.

Maya Hijikata and Chinari Sasai both scored twice in the emphatic victory, which underlined Japan’s attacking strength and helped carry them through to the final.

Japan therefore enter the latest meeting with a win and a draw from the two previous matches. New Zealand will be aiming to change that record and bring the head-to-head statistics level with a first victory over the Japanese side in the competition.

The fixture at Stade Miejski ŁKS Łodz is the third chapter in a rivalry that has so far been confined to Women’s U-20 World Cup group-stage meetings. Japan’s 2024 performance remains the clearest result between the teams, but their 2012 draw shows New Zealand have previously been able to compete closely with them.

The outcome will determine whether Japan extend their advantage in the series or whether New Zealand record their first win in this particular World Cup fixture.