VANCOUVER, June 8 -- Aya Miyama scored a penalty kick to help defending champions Japan lead debutantes Switzerland 1-0 at the first half in Women's World Cup group C here on Monday.
The Japanese captain converted the spot kick to gift the reigning champions a comfortable lead in the 29th minute after Kozue Ando was fouled inside the box by Swiss keeper Gaelle Thalmann.
The Swiss nearly took the lead in the 11th minute, as Romona Bachmann's solo effort was stopped by Japanese keeper Erina Yamane. Miyama made threat with a long shot going wide of the left post in the 14th minute.
Switzerland almost equalized three minutes before halftime, only to see Bachmann's long-range attempt just off the left post.
In pictures: School life of students in a military college
J-11 fighters in air exercise
Hefei-Fuzhou railway line put into trial operation
PLA soldiers operate antiaircraft guns in drill
Charming robot teacher gives lecture in Jiangxi
PLA soldiers conduct 10-kilometer long range raid
Graduation season of a costume designing major
Beauties dancing on the rings
Villagers pick cubiloses on cliff in Sichuan
Manila overvalues new pact with Tokyo
The mysterious ‘people of Chaoyang district’
NDRC mulls new guidelines for auto sector
Opportunists in Hong Kong target traders to exploit resentment of mainlandDay|Week
