Posted June. 20, 2015 06:55,
It took 48 years for Korean mens soccer team to secure its first win in a match at World Cup soccer finals. Since it took part in the World Cup in Switzerland for the first time in 1954, it had four draws and 10 losses without even a single win through 1998. The team had its first win at the match against Poland, the first group match it played at the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup. The team also advanced to the round of 16 at a World Cup for the first time at the event.
Korean womens soccer team, which advanced to World Cup finals in 2003, secured its first win and advance to the round of 16 teams in just 12 years, or our fourth of the time required for mens team. The womens team garnered the win just at its second advance to World Cup finals.
Korean womens soccer team was first formed ahead of the Asian Games in 1990. However, due to lack of soccer players, the team had crushing defeat to North Korea 0-7 and Japan 1-8 at the Beijing Asian Games, and lost to Taiwan and China by allowing seven and eight goals, respectively.
The team, which continued strides since then, had a watershed by advancing to the World Cup soccer finals for the first time in 2003. The team was disqualified after losing 0-3 to Brazil, 0-1 to France, and 1-7 to Norway in the group league, but it gained experience at World Cup finals.
Korean womens soccer team took a leap forward in earnest when it ranked third in the U-20 Womens World Cup in 2010. In the same year, Korean womens team won the title at the U-17 World Cup. It was its first championship at an FIFA event. The team won the bronze medal both at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, emerging as Asias powerhouse. At this years World Cup finals, the team secured a chance to participate at the event, because the number of participating countries increased to 24. KBS soccer commentator Lee Young-pyo said, Burden from the first win at the World Cup is so heavy that it is beyond description. However, as Korean womens soccer has secured its first win in 12 years, it is expected to achieve bigger growth going forward.