By Etsuko Miyazaki ADELAIDE: Losing semifinalists Japan and DPR Korea still have everything to play for tomorrow in the third-fourth place play-off of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2006 as a coveted berth in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007 is fortuitously up for grabs.

The top two teams in this tournament have two spots reserved for them in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007 with the third-placed team getting a chance to qualify via a playoff against a CONCACAF team.

But with hosts China themselves qualifying for the final against Australia, another automatic spot has been freed for Asian teams, allowing the team which loses tomorrow and finishes fourth at the Hindmarsh Stadium to go into the playoff against a CONCACAF team.

Japan have participated in all four editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991 while DPR Korea have managed two appearances on the global stage as the 2001 and 2003 Asian champions. But neither team has made the knockout stage of the World Cup.

The contest between the traditional rivals is expected to be fierce and an indication of this is their top finish in their respective groups. DPR Korea come in at seventh as the highest ranked Asian team in the FIFA rankings (No 1 in Asia) for women while Japan are 13th (No 3 in Asia).

After the 2-0 semifinal defeat to Australia, Japan coach Hiroshi Ohashi said the Australians’ physical superiority was telling. “They have longer legs and their strength was more than we expected. Our team didn’t have their abilities like inch-perfect passes, quantity of effective movement and a disciplined defence,” said Ohashi.

It remains to be seen if Japan can get these things right against DPR Korea who have the added edge in terms of the head-to-head record between the two. Coach Kim Kwang-min’s team has won eight out of 11 encounters against the Japanese.

However, Ohashi’s women will be keen to avoid the fate of their U-19 team which lost to Australia in the third-fourth place playoff of the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship in April and saw the newcomers advance to the FIFA U-20 Women’s Championship.

Yuki Nagasato, who has scored six goals so far, is two goals away from overtaking Korea Republic’s Jung Jung-suk and topping the goalscorers’ chart, and the young gun is sure to be emboldened by the absence through suspension of DPR Korea goalkeeper Hye Yong Han and key defenders Song Jung-sun and Sonu Kyon-sun.

The DPR Korea coach had earlier in the tournament analysed Japan as one of the most powerful sides in the competition. “Japan is one of the strongest sides in Asia and if we meet we will do the same thing we are doing now. We need to watch out for Homare Sawa, Nagasato, Kozue Ando and Mio Otani and plan carefully.”

The last time these two Asian superpowers clashed was in the EAFF Women’s Cup last August and DPR Korea won 1-0, thanks to a Ri Un-suk strike.