The Korean women’s soccer team successfully cut off the start of the first ‘Asia Top’ challenge.
The women’s soccer team, led by coach Colin Bell, scored two goals, including the winning goal, in the first round of Group C of the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup held at Siri Sib Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India on the 21st (local time). With the help of ‘ace’ Ji So-yeon (Chelsea) and others, they defeated Vietnam 3-0.
In this event, the qualification for the 2023 Australia and New Zealand Women’s World Cup is at stake.
Twelve countries will play a group stage into three groups, and the first and second place teams in each group, and two teams with the best results from the third place will advance to the quarterfinals to determine the winner in a single match.
Korea, which set the goal of reaching the finals and winning the championship for the first time in history, as well as scores of 5th or higher that are given tickets to the World Cup finals, placed second in the group behind Japan, the defending champion, who defeated Myanmar 5-0 earlier on the day.
Against Vietnam, which had a total of 17 players in the followingmath of the Corona 19 mass infection, Korea created an opportunity with Choi Yuri on the right wing from the beginning.
After 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the match, Choi Yu-ri’s shot hit the post, and Son Hwa-yeon’s shot from inside the penalty area shook the net, but it was not recognized as a goal as it was pointed out offside.
However, in one minute, Korea took the lead.
Yuri Choi connected the ball with a forward press from the right flank, and Soyeon Ji opened the goal with a right footed shot from the right side of the penalty arc.
Ji So-yeon, who set the record for most goals in a Korean soccer match by scoring his 59th goal in an Asian Cup qualifying match once morest Uzbekistan in September last year, beating former men’s national team coach Cha Beom-geun (58 goals), became the first Korean player to score 60 goals in an A match. broke through.
In the 7th minute of the first half, DF Tran Thi Phuong Thao, who was regarding to handle a cross posted by Choi Yuri, scored an own goal, and Korea Republic made the difference by two goals.
In the 36th minute of the second half, when Seulgi Jang raised the ball from the left side of the penalty area, a penalty kick was declared due to a handball foul by the opposing defender Truong Thi Quieu, and kicker Soyeon Ji calmly put it in and put the wedge.
Ji So-yeon’s scoring record in A-match increased to 61 goals.
South Korea are aiming for a second straight victory once morest Myanmar at the same place on the 24th.
On the 27th, the final group match once morest Japan will be played.
(Photo = provided by the Korea Football Association, Yonhap News)
