Korea’s female soccer team ties with U.S. in exhibition match

Korea’s female soccer team participated at a World Cup for the first time at the 2003 event held in the U.S. The team lost in all three matches. It scored one goal and allowed 11 goals, thus realizing high barriers in world soccer. Will the team find situation different this year? The Korean female soccer team has advanced to the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years, proving the possibility to secure a "first win and advance to the round of 16 teams."

The 18th-ranked Korean team tied the 2nd-ranked U.S. 0-0 at an exhibition match at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, the U.S. on Sunday. In past matches, Korea had two draws and seven losses.

The U.S. is considered the strongest team in women’s soccer in the world. The team won the title at the first event in China in 1991 and acquired the cup again at the World Cup held in its home turf eight years later. For the past six World Cups, it has advanced to the quarterfinals in all events by garnering two wins, one runner-up and three third-bests. Germany, the No. 1 team in FIFA world rankings, has won the cup twice (2003, 2007), one runner-up, and two fourth-bests.

Korean team coach Yoon Deok-yeo deployed Yoo Yeong-ah (Hyundai Steel) as the single top in lieu of Park Eun-sun (Rossiyanka), who has ankle injury, and Ji So-yeon (Chelsea) as offensive midfielder on the day. Although Korea did not score, the team dominated in the match from the beginning. The U.S. deployed key players Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux as two tops and strove to secure win, but failed to overcome strong defense of Team Korea, which used four-back tactic in the first half and three-back in the second half.

“I am satisfied that our team did not allow a goal in the match against the world’s strongest team. The game effectively doubled as a World Cup kickoff ceremony for the U.S. team, which involved more than 26,000 American soccer fans in the stand. I want to complement our players who wisely overcame it,” Coach Yoon said. “We will improve our team’s slow and unsmooth transition from defense to offense postures during the remaining period until the World Cup.”

The Korean female soccer team failed to advance to the semifinals in two consecutive events of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup through 2010, which double as the regional qualifiers for the World Cup. In the meantime, Japan consolidated its leadership to become Asia’s unrivaled powerhouse by making stellar achievements including acquisition of the championship at the 2011 New Zealand World Cup, and the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Korea ranked fourth after Japan, Australia, and China in last year’s Asian Cup, securing a berth for the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years. Korea benefited, because the number teams advancing to the World Cup finals has increased from 16 countries to 24 from the upcoming World Cup, with the number of berths allocated to AFC up from three to five (one remaining berth went to Thailand).

From the upcoming World Cup, 24 countries will form six groups to play group league. Teams ranking first and second will directly advance to the round of 16 teams, while four of the six third-ranked countries in respective groups will advance to the round of 16, depending on the number of goals and other records. Korea, which belongs to Group E along with Brazil (seventh), Spain (14th), and Costa Rica (37th), will play its first match against Brazil on June 10.

why@donga.com