East Asian giants North Korea and Japan are both through to the quarter-finals of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Thailand.
North Korea took a step closer towards defending their title with an emphatic 6-0 win against Uzbekistan in their Group B encounter at the Pathum Thani Stadium. With two straight wins, they confirmed their quarter-final spot with a match to spare and will look to finish their group stage outing with victory against neighbours Korea on Wednesday, while Uzbekistan will need victory against Jordan to stand a chance of advancing.
Japan eased to a 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in their Group C tie at the Thammasat Stadium. The six-time champions will meet Australia to decide the top spot on Wednesday.
Chinese Taipei, despite suffering two consecutive defeats, still have a chance of progressing but will have to beat India in their concluding tie.
North Korea hit the ground running, with their first shot on target coming in the opening minute when Ho Kyong’s effort from a tight angle inside the box was blocked by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Ezoza Sevinova, which was followed by headers from Choe Yon A and Pak Ok I in the next three minutes.
The wait for the opening goal ended quickly as Jon Il Chong capitalised on Ok I’s lateral cross to find the back of the net with ease from the centre of the box in the ninth minute.
Uzbekistan struggled to keep up as the East Asians, determined to extend their advantage, took control of proceedings and established a high tempo, with Yon A and Ri Ye Gyong troubling the backline with repeated attempts.
The two-time champions got their way in the 20th minute when Choe Chong Gum’s corner from the left bounced off Jong Pok Yong’s shoulder and travelled across the goalmouth.
DPR Korea continued to press Uzbekistan and, three minutes later, Ok I, dangerously close to goal, met Chong Gum’s delivery from outside the box to fire into the centre of the net.
Chong Gum almost got herself on the scoresheet in the 33rd minute when she unleashed a powerful effort from outside the box, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Jon then took a crack at goal from distance five minutes later, but the crossbar came to Uzbekistan’s rescue once again.
It was only a matter of time before the Central Asians succumbed to the relentless pressure, and that happened four minutes before the break when DPR Korea captain Ok I pounced on a loose ball inside the box and buried it in the left corner.
Right before the break, Vladimir Panov’s side averted conceding a fifth when Ho Kyong took a chance from close range but found herself denied by Ezoza.
The 2024 world champions began the second half showing the same kind of aggression, with Ye Gyong sending a precise cross towards Pak Il Sim, but her attempted header went wide to the left in the 52nd minute.
Uzbekistan survived yet another scare in the 57th minute when defender Ri Kuk Hyang found Ok I outside the box who was denied by the woodwork.
But the Han Chol Hak-led side found their fifth goal as the match reached the hour-mark when So Ryu Gong stunned the Uzbekistan defence with a precise shot from distance, sending the ball sailing into the top left corner of the net.
Ezoza remained busy between the sticks with Il Sim firing yet another powerful shot from outside the box which the Uzbek custodian deftly parried away in the 62nd minute.
Uzbekistan continued to weather late pressure from DPR Korea, with substitute defender Nazira Sayfiddinova most notably making two crucial interventions in the final 10 minutes but the title holders capped off their dominant performance with Ok I completing her hat-trick in the second minute of added time.
Meanwhile, Japan took the lead seconds into their match after Tamami Aso played the ball down the left to Haruko Suzuki, whose looping effort sailed over Chinese Taipei keeper Wang Ruo-Ping and settled in the net.
Ruo-Ping was kept on her toes, denying Japan in the 12th minute with a timely intervention following Mao Itamura’s dangerous ball into the box before palming away the Japanese captain’s volley four minutes later.
Chinese Taipei made a tactical change in the 20th minute, replacing Ruo-Ping with first choice custodian Jian Yu-Jie, but it made little difference as Yura Honda doubled Japan’s tally seven minutes later, finishing off a well-worked sequence from inside a packed box.
Japan’s sustained pressure almost yielded their third in the 40th minute with Anon Tsuda warming the gloves of Jian from inside the area before going just wide of the left post a minute later.
Chuan Tzu-Yu had a chance for Chinese Taipei in the 44th minute when she weaved past Mitsuki Ota on the left, only for her cross into the box to be intercepted by Tamami Aso as Japan took a comfortable advantage going into the break.
Japan introduced Noa Fukushima, Hibari Hara, Natsume Kingetsu and Natsumi Tago after the break but Chinese Taipei stayed firm with Huang I-Ping foiling Fukushima’s drive from inside the area before Jian pulled off a fine save to deny Tago from distance.
Wang’s composure continued to frustrate Japan as she kept out Miyu Matsunaga’s stinging shot from just outside the box in the 72nd minute before showing calm nerves a minute later to foil Tago’s spot-kick following Liao Jie-ning’s handball.
Jian’s composure continued to frustrate Japan as she kept out Miyu Matsunaga’s stinging shot from just outside the box in the 72nd minute before showing calm nerves a minute later to foil Tago’s spot-kick following Liao Jie-ning’s handball.
Japan came close to finding their third in the 75th minute when Jian fumbled Haruko Suzuki’s cross which looped back towards the gaping goalmouth but Li Chun-Me cleared the danger with a timely intervention as the score remained unchanged till the final whistle.
