A year and a half from the next Women's World Cup, Japan's national team captain Saki Kumagai said late Thursday that Nadeshiko Japan are nowhere close to being able to beat the best in the world.

The comments came after two-time defending Women's Asian Cup champions Japan, ranked 13th in the world, were eliminated from this year's tournament by No. 19 China 4-3 on penalties after their semifinal finished 2-2 after extra time in Pune, India.

Chinese players celebrate their victory through the penalty shootout in the AFC Women's Asian Cup semifinal between China and Japan in Pune, India, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Getty/Kyodo)

"We're a good way off from winning on the world stage," Kumagai said. "It's important for every member of the team to understand that the people we need to compete against aren't playing here."

Although the team has played very well in their four months under new manager Futoshi Ikeda, Nadeshiko struggled against much lower-level opponents than they'll face in next year's World Cup.

Japan twice led on Riko Ueki goals and dominated possession, but struggled when things got tight. Just as they had at the Tokyo Olympics, Nadeshiko were vulnerable to crosses and lacked accuracy on attack.

The 22-year-old Ueki, who scored five goals in the tournament, is a sign of promise among the young players for the future, but there's no mistaking the need for growth.

"We want to take these results to heart and work to get better," Ikeda said.