Beijing, China (My Sportsbook) - FIFA moved the date of a Women's World Cup match between Japan and Germany up a day because of crowd safety concerns expressed by host China in the city of Hangzhou. The match was originally scheduled for Sept. 18, but that date marks the anniversary of the 1931 "Mukden Incident" that led to the Japanese occupation of China's northeast. It is regarded the start of aggression that led to the occupation of much of China in 1937. "Given the historical background and taking into account the security considerations, FIFA and the (local organizing committee) deemed it appropriate to move these matches forward by one day," FIFA said on it's website. The Women's World Cup will be held at various cities throughout China from Sept. 10 to 30. |
