Mumbai: Japan booked their place in the AFC Women's Asian Cup semi-finals after thrashing Thailand 7-0 in the AFC Women's Asian Cup quarter-finals on Sunday Mumbai, India.
Japan, the two-time defending Asian women's champions, also confirmed their place in the Fifa Women's World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next year with the victory.
They will face the winners of the quarter-final between China and Vietnam in the last-four stage.
While Thailand's dreams of winning the AFC Women's Asian Cup title for the first time since 1983 have been dashed, the Southeast Asians are still in the running for a place in the Women's World Cup through the play-offs.
With Thailand missing several players due to a Covid-19 outbreak in their squad, Japan started as favourites and Futoshi Ikeda's side took an immediate grip on the match.
Mana Iwabuchi, after two attempts in the early stages, had a chance to put Japan ahead in the 14th minute after Wilaiporn Bootduang fouled Rin Sumida in the penalty box.
Goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing, however, judged correctly to ward off Iwabuchi's spot-kick with the Thai defenders clearing the rebound.
Waraporn would prove to be a stumbling block for Japan as the match progressed.
However, there was little the Thai goalkeeper could do to deny the defending champions their opener in the 27th minute with Yuika Sugasawa's right-footed shot from the centre of the box too powerful for the custodian to stop.
Sugasawa went on to score three more goals in the match with the other Japanese scorers being Sumida, Riko Ueki and Hinata Miyazawa.
Meanwhile World Cup co-hosts Australia lost 1-0 to the South Koreans after a long-range shot by Ji So-Yun in the 87th minute found its way into the net and helped the Koreans qualify for the semi-finals.