On Wednesday, Japan secured a 2-1 victory over North Korea, securing their place in the women's soccer tournament at the upcoming Paris Olympics, with a hint of VAR controversy in the mix.

The initial game in the two-match series, deciding one of Asia's two qualifiers, concluded with a goalless draw on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Three standout players from Japan played a pivotal role in securing their tickets to Paris.

Japan secured the silver medal in the 2012 Olympics, yet they have never clinched gold in the women's tournament. On the other hand, North Korea, who last participated in women's soccer at the 2012 Olympics, has yet to claim a medal.

“We want to move forward with the goal of winning a gold medal,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said.

In the 2023 World Cup, Ikeda served as the coach for the Japanese women's team, witnessing their quarterfinal defeat against Sweden.

Hana Takahashi netted a goal in the 26th minute, and Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita made a crucial save just before halftime to prevent the ball from crossing the line by mere millimeters. Aoba Fujino secured Japan's victory with a header in the 76th minute, marking their second goal.

Kim Hye Yong of North Korea found the net in the 80th minute, executing a chip over goalkeeper Yamashita, who had moved off her line. North Korea coach Ri Yu Il, visibly emotional, apologized for the defeat to the thousands of fans, predominantly of North Korean descent, who reside in Japan but were fervently supporting the visiting team.

“To all the supporters who sent us their voices and gave us instructions, we are very sorry we were not able to bring you a good result,” he said speaking in Korean, stopping frequently to gather himsel

In the initial half, Japan dominated possession, while North Korea employed a strategy of long balls and counterattacks. Subsequently, Japan successfully endured the pressure exerted by North Korea in the opening 20 minutes of the second half as the visitors sought to level the score.

Taking advantage of Japan's early possession dominance, Takahashi secured a 1-0 lead by calmly tapping in a close-range shot. The opportunity arose when Mina Tanaka's header hit the crossbar and, in a fortunate turn of events, the ball fell to Takahashi, who efficiently found the back of the net.

In the 44th minute, Choe Kum Ok of North Korea had a close call as her shot was blocked on the goal line by Japanese goalkeeper Yamashita. Despite the absence of VAR in the match, television replays suggested that the entire ball may not have crossed the line.

Coach Ri from North Korea refrained from explicitly stating whether he believed the ball had crossed the line, but he dropped hints, acknowledging that the incident likely influenced the dynamics of the game.

“I think it would be better if VAR were introduced in order to make fair decisions,” Ri said. “I think it would have been helpful.”

North Korea chose to abstain from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to pandemic concerns, resulting in discontent from the International Olympic Committee. This discontent led to North Korea's exclusion from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Despite this, the country has been permitted to make a return to the Olympic stage in Paris.

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