Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nanjing: Midfielder Son Hwa-yeon scored a brace as Korea Republic secured their qualification for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a 4-0 win over hosts China on Saturday to claim third place in the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship.
Despite being eliminated at the semi-final stage on Wednesday, the two teams went into the winner-takes-all encounter at Jiangning Sports Centre Stadium knowing that victory would see them progress to the FIFA tournament next year in Papua New Guinea while the loser would miss out.
And after a tense opening 45 minutes, it was the 2013 winners who went in front five minutes after the restart following an own goal by Wang Ying, before two goals from Son all but wrapped the game up by the midway stage of the second half.
Forward Jang Chang added a fine fourth with just over 20 minutes left on the clock as Jong Song-chon’s team capped a dominant second-half performance to advance to the U-20 Women's World Cup.
Jong delight as Korea Republic seal U-20 World Cup spot
The Koreans had the majority of the possession in a cagey opening quarter of an hour but chances were few and far between, with forward Son’s off-target effort from 12 yards on the 15-minute mark the first real sight of goal.
The hosts then had their first opportunity of the game midway through the first half when midfielder Zhang Zhu headed captain Shi Tianlun’s free-kick from the right over the bar from just a few yards out.
Then a minute later forward Namgung Ye-ji's curling cross-cum-shot from the left side had goalkeeper Peng Shimeng scrambling to her left before drifting past the wrong side of the left post.
And Jong’s side had another shot from distance on the half hour, this time with midfielder Kang Chae-rim cutting inside from the left and firing a powerful drive just over the crossbar.
But two-time winners Korea Republic did open the scoring five minutes into the second period when Jang played an inch-perfect long ball over the China defence to Kang, who squared from just inside the left side of the box to Namgung before Wang bundled the ball into her own net as she tried to prevent the striker tapping home.
And the Koreans then added a second in the 59th minute after Son capitalised on an error from defender Xu Jiameng before catching Peng off guard by drilling a low shot from fully 20 yards under the custodian into the back of the net for her first goal since her opening day brace against Iran.
The midfielder then doubled her tally for the day when the ball broke to her just 20 yards from goal before she drove into the penalty area and side-footed under Peng to put her side three goals to the good.
Korea Republic then made it four a minute later when midfielder Park Yee-un delivered a long ball to Jang, who turned and curled a beautiful left-foot effort beyond Peng for her third goal of the tournament.
Jong’s team were now full of confidence and almost added a fifth 10 minutes from time through another effort from distance by Jang, but this time she was denied by an excellent save from Peng at full stretch.
Photo: WSG