Colleen Bell’s women’s soccer team drew with North Korea to boost their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Paris Olympics.
South Korea were held to a 0-0 draw by North Korea in their second Group B match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Women’s Football Qualification on Monday (Sept. 29) at the Xiamen Yigret Stadium in Fujian Province, China.
South Korea, who won convincingly 10-1 against Thailand in the first round, remained atop the group (1 win, 1 draw, 4 points). North Korea, which defeated China 2-1 in its first match, is second on goal difference despite the same 1-1 draw (4 points).
The second round of the Asian qualifiers will feature 12 teams divided into three groups of four, with the top three finishers from each group and one team from each group advancing to the third round.
In the third round, teams will be paired together in groups of two and play home and away, with the two winners earning a ticket to Paris. South Korea’s spot in the quarterfinals will be determined by their final match against China on June 1.
South Korean women’s soccer has yet to qualify for the Olympic Games.
After falling 1-4 in the quarterfinals in Hangzhou after an untimely dismissal, the South Koreans put up an even fight against North Korea today.
After holding their opponents at bay in the early going, South Korea opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a mid-range shot from Ji So-yeon. North Korea responded nine minutes later with a shot by Kim Kyong Yong that went over the bar.
There were a few close calls, but goalkeeper Kim Jong-mi was up to the task. She calmly stopped the opponent’s onslaught.
South Korea also had a chance in the 35th minute when Jang Seul-ki played a 2-on-1 pass and finished with a shot, but it was cleared off the line by the defense. 카지노사이트
In the second half, North Korea took the initiative and pushed South Korea hard, but the solid defense shone through. The Korean defense was also one step ahead of the North Koreans on a corner kick in stoppage time.
In the end, the teams played to a scoreless draw.
South Korea will play a crucial match against home team China on March 1.