TOKYO - Japan's women's national soccer team, Nadeshiko Japan, suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat to Germany in an international friendly in Bremen on October 13, despite taking an early lead through Momoko Tanikawa.
Japan, ranked fifth in the world, faced third-ranked Germany in a closely contested match that saw the visitors surrender their first-half advantage before conceding the decisive goal after the break.
Japan's starting lineup included Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City and Kiko Seike of Brighton, while Tanikawa, who plays for Bayern Munich, opened the scoring in the first half.
Germany equalized before halftime and completed the comeback with a second goal in the second half, denying Japan a victory against one of the world's leading women's soccer teams.
The result leaves Japan with a record of one win, two draws and 12 defeats in 15 meetings with Germany, underlining the difficulty the Japanese side has historically faced against the European powerhouse.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Tanikawa, who scored Japan's opening goal, said she had felt encouraged by her performance, despite the disappointing result.
Source: Kyodo
