Players facing Hungary We sincerely appreciate your continued support for our association. The Japan Women's Junior National Team (U-20), competing in the 25th Women's Junior World Championship currently underway in China, faced Hungary in their first main round match on June 29 at 18:30 local time (19:30 Japan time), losing 25–32. Although Japan could not secure a Top 8 berth with this match, they will have another chance to qualify by facing Poland next. ・Main Round Game 1 Hungary 32 (15–13, 17–12) 25 Japan [First Half] Clinging on tightly despite struggles Hungary controlled the pace in the first half, leveraging their physical advantages and effective off-ball movement to counter Japan’s aggressive defense. Japan found themselves trailing 7–11 at the 17-minute mark. Nevertheless, Japan fought hard, using relentless footwork to disrupt Hungary’s attacks. Goals from Wakanami Hokuto’s cut-in shot, Sasho Shunyo’s 7-meter throw, and Kato Mao’s post shot helped Japan close the gap, trailing by just two points at halftime, 13–15. [Second Half] Valiant effort falls short In the second half, Japan aimed to build momentum toward an equalizer or comeback, relying on full-effort defense and strong saves from goalkeeper Ozaki Hina. However, Hungary effectively exploited the spaces created by Japan’s aggressive defense to maintain their lead. Japan fought stubbornly until the final whistle, but Hungary maintained their focus throughout, allowing no openings for Japan to capitalize. Sasho Shunyo, top scorer for Japan with 6 goals ◇Japan’s Scoring and Goalkeeper Save Statistics 6 goals: #6 Sasho Shunyo 4 goals: #15 Kita Wakanami 3 goals: #23 Nakao Ai 3 goals: #25 Kato Mao 2 goals: #4 Kanno Airi 2 goals: #13 Ikeda Futaba 2 goals: #18 Kio Shurina 1 goal: #10 Matsumoto Yume 1 goal: #14 Nakamura Makoko 1 goal: #27 Saito Fubu ・Goalkeepers (Saves/Total Shots Faced) 7/32: #12 Ozaki Hina 1/8: #21 Sugimoto Mizuki ※Detailed statistics available here ◇Photo Gallery from This Match Downloa