North Korea wins record third FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

 

 

North Korea secured a record third win at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, equalling their tally by beating Japan 1-0 in Bogota.

They became the most successful team in the history of the football tournament, equalling the strongest nations such as Germany and the United States.

Choe Il-son’s 15th-minute winner capped a remarkable tournament for North Korea, who won every single match in Colombia.

The 17-year-old striker finished as the competition’s all-time top scorer, winning the Golden Boot with six goals.

North Korea joined the United States and Germany as the only nations to win the tournament three times.

“It’s so hard to express ourselves at this moment: this has been the dream of many of us for so long,” said North Korea captain Chae Un-yong.

“The final match was tough, as we expected, and we had to stay calm and play according to the coach’s tactical instructions.”

North Korea dominated the tournament, eliminating teams such as Argentina, the Netherlands and Brazil to reach the semi-finals.

A 1-0 win over the United States set up an all-Asian final against Japan, who finished runners-up in the previous tournament in 2022.

Choe’s goal, a slightly deflected left-footed shot, was enough to secure a historic victory for North Korea at El Camin Stadium.

She was named best player on the pitch and won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball, the latter awarded to the best player at the World Cup.

North Korea’s U-20 women’s national team has previously won the World Cup in 2006 and 2016.

North Korea’s triumph is even more remarkable considering that the country withdrew from global sports competitions for several years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After not playing a match since 2018, the North Korean U20 women’s team returned to the international scene in March this year to compete in the Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.
Despite the six-year hiatus, they won the tournament, beating Japan 2-1 to secure their second title.

The Rise and Fall of North Korea, the Sleeping Giant of Women’s Soccer.

“Winning the Asian Cup first and now achieving this success means I am very proud of the team,” said team coach Ri Song-ho after the World Cup triumph.

“We have shown that we are very dangerous in the way we organize attacks, it’s all a question of the speed with which we advance.

Seventeen-year-old Choe Il-son finished top scorer and was named player of the tournament

Unlike their male counterparts, who are ranked 111th in the world, North Korean women are a real powerhouse in world football.

The senior national team is currently ranked ninth in the FIFA world rankings, higher than nations such as France and Australia.

To date, they have won three Asian Cups, three Asian Games and three East Asian Championships.

However, North Koreans rarely get to see their national team play at home.

The country’s limited transport links to the outside world, as well as poor diplomatic relations with many governments, mean that the vast majority of North Korea’s “home” matches are played at a neutral stadium, often in China or the Middle East. [BBC]

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