With neither team having a chance at the quarterfinals, Colombia and Korea DPR battled to a scoreless draw over 90 minutes. Both teams finished with one point in Group C, but technically Korea DPR finishes ahead of Colombia because of goal differential.
Colombian coach Ricardo Rozo elected not to start Yoreli Rincon, nor did he use her as a substitute. Both teams went with the same goalkeeper they had in the first two matches, Hong Myong Hui for Korea and Sandra Sepulveda for Colombia.
Momentum shifted back and forth over the first 45 minutes. Colombia took the early initiative, with Korea pressuring more after the 20th minute, but Colombia closing the half strong.
Orianica Velasquez was the most active player in this match. She attempted two shots early on, with Hong saving one near the post and the other going wide.
In the 7th minute, Jo Yun Mi shot wide from 18 yards on Korea's first really offensive opportunity of the day. Jo had one of the best chances of the half for Korea in the 25th minute, but her hard shot from 12 yards was saved by Sepulveda. Later a cross found Jo making a near post run, but her shot went wide of the left post.
Colombia may have gotten a bit lucky late in the half. Ra Un Sim attempted to dribble into the penalty area, but was knocked down by Nataly Arias. The referee allowed play to continue with no foul being whistled.
Velasquez continued to fire away in the 2nd half. In the 55th minute, she sent one well over the net from 20 yards. A little later, her free kick from 35 yards was a laser beam, but unfortunately right at Hong.
Katerin Castro had a chance in the 67th minute, as she received the ball 12 yards from the goal on the right side of the penalty area, but her shot was blocked by a Korean defender before it reached the goal.
In the 72nd minute, Ri Ye Gyong shot the ball over the net. Another Korean chance came in the 85th minute as Jo was able to attempt an uncontested header from 10 yards, but put it wide of the left post.
Velasquez had one final effort in stoppage from 35 yards, but the ball sailed a foot wide of the left post. The match ended in a scoreless draw.
Surprisingly, with so many shots in this match, there were very few dangerous scoring chances. Both teams had to be disappointed to come away from the tournament without scoring a goal. But considering these were the two youngest teams at the World Cup, perhaps they have a bright future to look forward to.
Showing posts with label Hong Myong Hui. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hong Myong Hui. Show all posts
July 6, 2011
July 2, 2011
Sweden 1, Korea DPR 0
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Caroline Seger, Hong Myong Hui, Kim Su Gyong, Korea DPR, Lisa Dahlkvist, Lotta Schelin, Ri Un Hyang, Ri Ye Gyong, Sara Thunebro, Sweden
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Caroline Seger, Hong Myong Hui, Kim Su Gyong, Korea DPR, Lisa Dahlkvist, Lotta Schelin, Ri Un Hyang, Ri Ye Gyong, Sara Thunebro, Sweden
In almost a carbon copy of the first match for Sweden, they defeated Korea DPR 1-0, putting themselves in good position to advance to the quarterfinals. A tie or win by the United States will clinch a quarterfinal berth for Sweden.
Once again, Sweden had trouble putting away their chances. Once again, they were not dominant. And once again, they were able to get a second half goal to win the match. Korea, while they did well with possession at stretches throughout the match, really had very few threatening chances.
Like Tuesday, Sweden had an early chance to jump out on top. Lotta Schelin was open on the left side of the box, running onto a long ball out of the back, but her shot went just high and just wide left from 15 yards away. Like Jessica Landstrom in the match against Colombia, Schelin has a frustrating first half, missing out on golden opportunities.
There were few Korean chances in the opening 45 minutes and then from distance, like Kim Su Gyong's attempt from 28 yards in the sixth minute that went harmlessly wide. Their best chance of the first half was a cross from Song Jong Sun from the right side in the 19th minute. Kim was able to get a cleaner header on it, but the shot went well wide of the right post.
In the 30th minute, Caroline Seger sent Schelin in on the right side of the box, but Schelin did not get over the ball properly and her shot sailed high and wide to the right. Sweden's last chance of the half was Jessica Landstrom's attempt from 25 yards that sailed over the crossbar in the 42nd minute.
Sweden continued to press in the second half. Schelin sent the ball to Lisa Dahlqvist in the box, but Hong Myong Hui came out to deflect the ball wide. Five minutes later, a corner kick resulted in a scramble in the box after Hong was unable to get to the ball. Dahlqvist's shot from 15 yards was blocked by the defense and the ball was cleared.
Seger picked up a yellow card in the 59th minute, which was about the last thing Sweden needed. It was her second yellow of the tournament and she will now be forced to miss the upcoming match against the United States.
Swedish pressure finally paid off in the 64th minute. The Swedes reversed the ball from the right to the left with the ball coming to the feet of Linda Forsberg. She hit a right-footed inswinging cross to the far post. Therese Sjogran headed the ball back to the middle to an unmarked Dahlkvist, who blasted the ball into the net from only four yards out.
Korea's best chances seemed to come off of corner kicks, in spite of Sweden's height. In the 73rd minute, a Korean corner came into the six yard box. Both Ri Ye Gyong and Ri Un Hyang went up for the header, with it appearing that Ri U. H. making contact. The ball was headed toward the net, but Sara Thunebro was waiting on the line to clear it with her head.
In the 75th minute, Seger forced a turnover and sent the ball down the middle to Schelin. This time Schelin forced Hong to make a diving save on her low shot from 15 yards.
Korea tried to get an equalizer in the 80th minute as Ri Ye Gyong placed a cross into the box from the right side, but Lindahl anticipated nicely and grabbed the ball in front of Ra Un Sim.
Sweden was able to keep Korea from getting the ball up the field for most of the last ten minutes as time ticked away on the Koreans. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but Sweden had once again gotten the job done. Hedvig Lindahl earned the shutout for Sweden and Thunebro saved the day off the line late in the match. Meanwhile, Swedish forwards continued to struggle with their finishing touch.
The upside is Sweden will almost surely go through to the quarterfinals. The bad news is that Seger will miss the match against the United States, which could be very important for placement into the quarters.
Sweden will meet the United States on Wednesday, while Korea DPR, who are now virtually eliminated will meet Colombia.
Once again, Sweden had trouble putting away their chances. Once again, they were not dominant. And once again, they were able to get a second half goal to win the match. Korea, while they did well with possession at stretches throughout the match, really had very few threatening chances.
Like Tuesday, Sweden had an early chance to jump out on top. Lotta Schelin was open on the left side of the box, running onto a long ball out of the back, but her shot went just high and just wide left from 15 yards away. Like Jessica Landstrom in the match against Colombia, Schelin has a frustrating first half, missing out on golden opportunities.
There were few Korean chances in the opening 45 minutes and then from distance, like Kim Su Gyong's attempt from 28 yards in the sixth minute that went harmlessly wide. Their best chance of the first half was a cross from Song Jong Sun from the right side in the 19th minute. Kim was able to get a cleaner header on it, but the shot went well wide of the right post.
In the 30th minute, Caroline Seger sent Schelin in on the right side of the box, but Schelin did not get over the ball properly and her shot sailed high and wide to the right. Sweden's last chance of the half was Jessica Landstrom's attempt from 25 yards that sailed over the crossbar in the 42nd minute.
Sweden continued to press in the second half. Schelin sent the ball to Lisa Dahlqvist in the box, but Hong Myong Hui came out to deflect the ball wide. Five minutes later, a corner kick resulted in a scramble in the box after Hong was unable to get to the ball. Dahlqvist's shot from 15 yards was blocked by the defense and the ball was cleared.
Seger picked up a yellow card in the 59th minute, which was about the last thing Sweden needed. It was her second yellow of the tournament and she will now be forced to miss the upcoming match against the United States.
Swedish pressure finally paid off in the 64th minute. The Swedes reversed the ball from the right to the left with the ball coming to the feet of Linda Forsberg. She hit a right-footed inswinging cross to the far post. Therese Sjogran headed the ball back to the middle to an unmarked Dahlkvist, who blasted the ball into the net from only four yards out.
Korea's best chances seemed to come off of corner kicks, in spite of Sweden's height. In the 73rd minute, a Korean corner came into the six yard box. Both Ri Ye Gyong and Ri Un Hyang went up for the header, with it appearing that Ri U. H. making contact. The ball was headed toward the net, but Sara Thunebro was waiting on the line to clear it with her head.
In the 75th minute, Seger forced a turnover and sent the ball down the middle to Schelin. This time Schelin forced Hong to make a diving save on her low shot from 15 yards.
Korea tried to get an equalizer in the 80th minute as Ri Ye Gyong placed a cross into the box from the right side, but Lindahl anticipated nicely and grabbed the ball in front of Ra Un Sim.
Sweden was able to keep Korea from getting the ball up the field for most of the last ten minutes as time ticked away on the Koreans. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but Sweden had once again gotten the job done. Hedvig Lindahl earned the shutout for Sweden and Thunebro saved the day off the line late in the match. Meanwhile, Swedish forwards continued to struggle with their finishing touch.
The upside is Sweden will almost surely go through to the quarterfinals. The bad news is that Seger will miss the match against the United States, which could be very important for placement into the quarters.
Sweden will meet the United States on Wednesday, while Korea DPR, who are now virtually eliminated will meet Colombia.
June 28, 2011
United States 2, Korea DPR 0
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez, Carli Lloyd, Hong Myong Hui, Hope Solo, Jo Yun Mi, Kim Su Gyong, Korea DPR, Lauren Cheney, Megan Rapinoe, Rachel Buehler, USWNT
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez, Carli Lloyd, Hong Myong Hui, Hope Solo, Jo Yun Mi, Kim Su Gyong, Korea DPR, Lauren Cheney, Megan Rapinoe, Rachel Buehler, USWNT
They say it's always a good idea to make your coach look brilliant and that's just what Lauren Cheney did in the United States' opening match against Korea on Tuesday. Cheney scored the winning goal in the 54th minute to lead the US to a 2-0 victory.
Cheney was placed in the starting lineup as a midfielder in place of the normal starter Megan Rapinoe and the move paid dividends to US coach Pia Sundhage. While Cheney was playing midfield, she appeared to be almost a third striker for much of the match.
The United States looked a bit nervous early on, perhaps a combination of opening match jitters and pressure. The first half was played pretty evenly between the two sides and the Koreans certainly had stretches were they held the advantage.
The way things went early on, especially for Cheney, it appeared that the Americans were out to play kick and catch with Korean keeper Hong Myong Hui. The first evidence of this was in the 11th minute as Cheney drilled a hard shot, but right at Hong.
Korea did not get any especially dangerous chances early on. Jon Myong Hwa did put one over the bar from distance in the 25th minute.
Cheney again placed a hard shot on frame from 15 yards, but again right at Hong in the 34th minute.
But later in the half, Korea were knocking at the door. Just a minute later, Kim Su Gyong nearly snuck one inside the right post, but Hope Solo was there to make the save. Then Song Jong Sun sent the ball past a diving Solo across the goal mouth, but no one was making a back post run and the ball rolled harmlessly away. In the closing minutes of the half JoYun Mi nearly tipped in a cross by Kim, but to no avail.
The second started with some beautiful passing from the US. Carli Lloyd sent the ball forward to Abby Wambach who sent it square to Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez then connected with a nice pass to Cheney. Once again, Cheney's shot was right at Hong.
But if the first half was pretty even, the second half was a dominating performance by the United States. They created chance after chance in the 2nd half. First, Shannon Boxx sent one just over the bar. Then Cheney again tested Hong from 12 yards, but the Korean keeper was up to task yet again. In the 51st minute, Rodriguez made a nice run up the right side, sending the ball across to Wambach who missed connecting from just in front of the goal.
The US broke through in the 54th minute. Lloyd sent a well-weighted ball up the left side with Wambach running onto it. Wambach settled, cut inside to give herself room and hit a right-footed cross. Lauren Cheney was waiting eight yards out and even with the back post. Unlike all of the shots off her foot, her header was perfectly placed, back across the goal and inside the left post. The United States led 1-0.
Korea came close to tying in the 56th minute as Ri's shot from distance glanced off the top of the crossbar. It was as close as the young Koreans would come to tying the match.
The United States continued to keep Hong busy. Amy LePeilbet's cross in the 65th minute found Wambach wide open. She headed the ball down hard, with the ball bouncing in front of Hong, then off Hong's hands and then hitting the underside of the crossbar, before bouncing out. Later, Rodriguez hit a bending shot that appeared might sneak inside the left post, but Hong was able to get a hand on that to keep it at one.
The United States put the game away in the 76th minute as Ali Krieger's shot from the left wing struck the crossbar, with the loose ball eventually coming to Rachel Buehler at the 18.. She neatly slotted the ball just inside the left post to give the US a safe 2-0 lead.
Korea did put some pressure on in the final five minutes, but Solo and the US were able to keep it at a shutout. Meanwhile, the US thought they had a third when Megan Rapinoe appeared to beat Hong to the ball and hammer it home from in close, but the referee ruled that Hong had gotten her hands on the ball just before Rapinoe connected. The goal was disallowed and a foul called on the American midfielder.
For the United States, several players had strong games, most notably Cheney and Rodriguez. The US were able to limit Korean star Jo's chances to just a few. Hope Solo was solid in goal, but really not overly tested. Hong did well to keep the score at 2-0 in goal for the Koreans.
The United States put themselves in a very favorable position in Group C with three points and a +2 differential. They will take on Colombia on Saturday, a match that they should enter as prohibitive favorites. North Korea meets Sweden on Saturday in a very important match for both teams.
Cheney was placed in the starting lineup as a midfielder in place of the normal starter Megan Rapinoe and the move paid dividends to US coach Pia Sundhage. While Cheney was playing midfield, she appeared to be almost a third striker for much of the match.
The United States looked a bit nervous early on, perhaps a combination of opening match jitters and pressure. The first half was played pretty evenly between the two sides and the Koreans certainly had stretches were they held the advantage.
The way things went early on, especially for Cheney, it appeared that the Americans were out to play kick and catch with Korean keeper Hong Myong Hui. The first evidence of this was in the 11th minute as Cheney drilled a hard shot, but right at Hong.
Korea did not get any especially dangerous chances early on. Jon Myong Hwa did put one over the bar from distance in the 25th minute.
Cheney again placed a hard shot on frame from 15 yards, but again right at Hong in the 34th minute.
But later in the half, Korea were knocking at the door. Just a minute later, Kim Su Gyong nearly snuck one inside the right post, but Hope Solo was there to make the save. Then Song Jong Sun sent the ball past a diving Solo across the goal mouth, but no one was making a back post run and the ball rolled harmlessly away. In the closing minutes of the half JoYun Mi nearly tipped in a cross by Kim, but to no avail.
The second started with some beautiful passing from the US. Carli Lloyd sent the ball forward to Abby Wambach who sent it square to Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez then connected with a nice pass to Cheney. Once again, Cheney's shot was right at Hong.
But if the first half was pretty even, the second half was a dominating performance by the United States. They created chance after chance in the 2nd half. First, Shannon Boxx sent one just over the bar. Then Cheney again tested Hong from 12 yards, but the Korean keeper was up to task yet again. In the 51st minute, Rodriguez made a nice run up the right side, sending the ball across to Wambach who missed connecting from just in front of the goal.
The US broke through in the 54th minute. Lloyd sent a well-weighted ball up the left side with Wambach running onto it. Wambach settled, cut inside to give herself room and hit a right-footed cross. Lauren Cheney was waiting eight yards out and even with the back post. Unlike all of the shots off her foot, her header was perfectly placed, back across the goal and inside the left post. The United States led 1-0.
Korea came close to tying in the 56th minute as Ri's shot from distance glanced off the top of the crossbar. It was as close as the young Koreans would come to tying the match.
The United States continued to keep Hong busy. Amy LePeilbet's cross in the 65th minute found Wambach wide open. She headed the ball down hard, with the ball bouncing in front of Hong, then off Hong's hands and then hitting the underside of the crossbar, before bouncing out. Later, Rodriguez hit a bending shot that appeared might sneak inside the left post, but Hong was able to get a hand on that to keep it at one.
The United States put the game away in the 76th minute as Ali Krieger's shot from the left wing struck the crossbar, with the loose ball eventually coming to Rachel Buehler at the 18.. She neatly slotted the ball just inside the left post to give the US a safe 2-0 lead.
Korea did put some pressure on in the final five minutes, but Solo and the US were able to keep it at a shutout. Meanwhile, the US thought they had a third when Megan Rapinoe appeared to beat Hong to the ball and hammer it home from in close, but the referee ruled that Hong had gotten her hands on the ball just before Rapinoe connected. The goal was disallowed and a foul called on the American midfielder.
For the United States, several players had strong games, most notably Cheney and Rodriguez. The US were able to limit Korean star Jo's chances to just a few. Hope Solo was solid in goal, but really not overly tested. Hong did well to keep the score at 2-0 in goal for the Koreans.
The United States put themselves in a very favorable position in Group C with three points and a +2 differential. They will take on Colombia on Saturday, a match that they should enter as prohibitive favorites. North Korea meets Sweden on Saturday in a very important match for both teams.
June 24, 2011
Group C Preview: Korea DPR
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Hong Myong Hui, Jo Yun Mi, Jon Myong Hwa, Jong Pok Sim, Korea DPR, Ra Un Sim, Song Jong Sun
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Hong Myong Hui, Jo Yun Mi, Jon Myong Hwa, Jong Pok Sim, Korea DPR, Ra Un Sim, Song Jong Sun
Korea DPR (#8)
Region: AFC
Coach: Kim Kwang Min
How They Qualified: Finished 2nd in Asian Cup.
Prior Cups:
2007: Lost in Quarterfinals
2003: Group Stage
1999: Group Stage
1995: DNQ
1991: DNQ
Returnees from 2007 WWC: (2) Song Jong Sun, Jong Pok Sim.
Roster (Average Age: 20.88)
Note: Caps/Goals information for Korea DPR is incomplete.
Recent Matches:
It seems as though Korea DPR is always shrouded in a bit of mystery. This team is no different. They had almost a complete player turnover from their 2007 World Cup squad which lost in the quarterfinals to Germany 3-0. That was the best showing ever for Korea.
What’s even more astounding is that nearly half of their World Cup roster wasn’t even with the senior team when they qualified at the Asian Cup last May. It is an extremely young team with an average age of under 21 years old. Many of these players have progressed up the ranks on the U-17 then the U-20 team. Six players played on the 2008 U-17 championship team and nine played on the 2010 U-20 team that made it to the quarterfinals.
Korea DPR finished second in the 2010 Asian Cup, which served as the qualifier for this year’s World Cup, losing the championship game on penalty kicks to Australia. They followed that with a runner-up finish to Japan at the Asian Games last fall. As for 2011, they have played only a handful of friendlies. Most recently, they played four World Cup warm-up games, tying Holland and losing to Germany, Belgium, and Canada.
So what do we know about Korea DPR? Well, for one, you can count on them being a good technical soccer team. That has been the hallmark of nearly every Korean team. Second, their games will all be low scoring affairs. They rarely pile on goals, even in matches that they dominate. Third, they will be competitive.
Probably their best player is midfielder Jo Yun Mi. Jo was the Most Valuable Player in the Asian Cup and scored three goals in that competition. She is definitely a player to watch in this World Cup. She is considered strong both offensively and defensively and is proficient at organizing the Korean attack.
Two players that did return from that 2007 World Cup team are defenders Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sim. At 30 years of age, Song is the senior member of this team. She generally starts at outside back.
The goalkeeper is Hong Myong Hui, the starter for both the 2008 U-17 team and the 2010 U-20 team. She is just 19 years old. Hong posted three shutouts in five matches in the Asian Cup and another two in four matches at the Asian Games.
Outside of Jo, Korea’s most dangerous offensive player is Ra Un Sim. She scored three goals in the Asian Games last year, including a two goal outing against the Korea Republic. Among the younger players, Jon Myong Hwa could be a player to watch. She scored four goals in the U-17 World Cup in 2008.
While the Koreans are young and lacking experience, they cannot be dismissed. The young players have played together for several years in junior competition, so their inexperience is less than it appears. Korea is always a tough team to play and they will present a challenge for their Group C opponents. If Jo and Hong play well and the young players can come together, this team could make it to the quarterfinals.
Region: AFC
Coach: Kim Kwang Min
How They Qualified: Finished 2nd in Asian Cup.
Prior Cups:
2007: Lost in Quarterfinals
2003: Group Stage
1999: Group Stage
1995: DNQ
1991: DNQ
Returnees from 2007 WWC: (2) Song Jong Sun, Jong Pok Sim.
Roster (Average Age: 20.88)
| Name | Pos | Club | Age | Caps/Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Myong Hui | GK | April 25 | 20 | 12/0 |
| Kim Chol Ok | GK | April 25 | 16 | 1/0 |
| Ri Jin Sim | GK | Wolmido | 20 | 1/0 |
| Jon Hong Yon | DF | April 25 | 19 | 1/0 |
| Ho Un Byol | DF | April 25 | 19 | 7/0 |
| Song Jong Sun | DF | Amrokgang | 30 | 14/0 |
| Paek Sol Hui | DF | April 25 | 17 | 3/0 |
| Yu Jong Hui | DF | April 25 | 25 | 7/0 |
| Jong Pok Sim | DF | April 25 | 25 | 14/1 |
| Ri Un Hyang | DF | Amrokgang | 23 | 1/0 |
| Kim Myong Gum | MF | Rimyongsu | 20 | 2/0 |
| Kim Su Gyong | MF | April 25 | 16 | 3/0 |
| Jo Yun Mi | MF | April 25 | 24 | 30/6 |
| Ri Ye Gyong | MF | Amrokgang | 21 | 14/0 |
| Jon Myong Hwa | MF | April 25 | 17 | 11/2 |
| Kim Un Ju | MF | April 25 | 18 | 4/0 |
| Kim Chung Sim | MF | April 25 | 20 | 14/0 |
| Yun Hyon Hi | FW | April 25 | 18 | 11/2 |
| Ra Un Sim | FW | Amrokgang | 22 | 20/7 |
| Choe Mi Gyong | FW | Rimyongsu | 20 | 2/0 |
| Kwon Song Hwa | FW | April 25 | 19 | 2/0 |
Note: Caps/Goals information for Korea DPR is incomplete.
Recent Matches:
| Date | Opponent | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/14/11 | Canada | Friendly | L 0-2 |
| 5/24/11 | Belgium | Friendly | L 0-1 |
| 5/21/11 | Germany | Friendly | L 0-2 |
| 5/18/11 | Holland | Friendly | T 1-1 |
| 4/17/11 | China | Friendly | W 1-0 |
| 11/22/10 | Japan | Asian Games | L 0-1 |
| 11/20/10 | Korea Republic | Asian Games | W 3-1 |
| 11/18/10 | Japan | Asian Games | T 0-0 |
| 11/16/10 | Thailand | Asian Games | W 2-0 |
| 5/30/10 | Australia | Asian Cup | L 1-1 (4-5PK) | 5/27/10 | China | Asian Cup | W 1-0 |
| 5/24/10 | Japan | Asian Cup | L 1-2 |
| 5/22/10 | Myanmar | Asian Cup | W 2-0 |
| 5/20/10 | Thailand | Asian Cup | W 3-0 |
| 5/4/10 | Nigeria | Friendly | W 3-0 |
| 5/2/10 | Nigeria | Friendly | W 1-0 |
It seems as though Korea DPR is always shrouded in a bit of mystery. This team is no different. They had almost a complete player turnover from their 2007 World Cup squad which lost in the quarterfinals to Germany 3-0. That was the best showing ever for Korea.
What’s even more astounding is that nearly half of their World Cup roster wasn’t even with the senior team when they qualified at the Asian Cup last May. It is an extremely young team with an average age of under 21 years old. Many of these players have progressed up the ranks on the U-17 then the U-20 team. Six players played on the 2008 U-17 championship team and nine played on the 2010 U-20 team that made it to the quarterfinals.
Korea DPR finished second in the 2010 Asian Cup, which served as the qualifier for this year’s World Cup, losing the championship game on penalty kicks to Australia. They followed that with a runner-up finish to Japan at the Asian Games last fall. As for 2011, they have played only a handful of friendlies. Most recently, they played four World Cup warm-up games, tying Holland and losing to Germany, Belgium, and Canada.
So what do we know about Korea DPR? Well, for one, you can count on them being a good technical soccer team. That has been the hallmark of nearly every Korean team. Second, their games will all be low scoring affairs. They rarely pile on goals, even in matches that they dominate. Third, they will be competitive.
Probably their best player is midfielder Jo Yun Mi. Jo was the Most Valuable Player in the Asian Cup and scored three goals in that competition. She is definitely a player to watch in this World Cup. She is considered strong both offensively and defensively and is proficient at organizing the Korean attack.
Two players that did return from that 2007 World Cup team are defenders Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sim. At 30 years of age, Song is the senior member of this team. She generally starts at outside back.
The goalkeeper is Hong Myong Hui, the starter for both the 2008 U-17 team and the 2010 U-20 team. She is just 19 years old. Hong posted three shutouts in five matches in the Asian Cup and another two in four matches at the Asian Games.
Outside of Jo, Korea’s most dangerous offensive player is Ra Un Sim. She scored three goals in the Asian Games last year, including a two goal outing against the Korea Republic. Among the younger players, Jon Myong Hwa could be a player to watch. She scored four goals in the U-17 World Cup in 2008.
While the Koreans are young and lacking experience, they cannot be dismissed. The young players have played together for several years in junior competition, so their inexperience is less than it appears. Korea is always a tough team to play and they will present a challenge for their Group C opponents. If Jo and Hong play well and the young players can come together, this team could make it to the quarterfinals.
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