Korean team wins U-17 Women’s World Cup

(Photo: Yonhap News)

The Korean national team won the U-17 Women’s World Cup, held at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on September 26 (Korean time). This is the first such victory ever for a Korean team in any tournament organized by FIFA.

The Korean U-17 women’s team took first place after defeating their Japanese rivals in a penalty shootout, with a final score of 5-4. It was a close match, as both teams were tied 3-3 in an exhausting overtime match.

The U-17 Women’s World Cup, a soccer tournament for players under 17 years of age, is a biannual event held in even-numbered years. The first U-17 event was held in New Zealand in 2008, and was won by the North Koreans.

Forward Yeo Min-ji, 17, had an exceptional tournament, appearing in six matches to score eight goals and three assists, as well as winning the Golden Boot (top scorer) and the Golden Ball (MVP Award).

Yeo is also expected to receive an award for best goal, after scoring four goals in a row in the Nigeria match for a 6-5 win on September 17. The results will be determined by an online poll, which is open until September 30.

Yeo Min-ji, 17, raising the Golden Boot Award after the final U-17 tournament on Sunday, Sept. 26 (Korean time). (Photo: Yonhap News)

Kumi Yokoyama from Japan took both the Silver Ball and the Bronze Boot. Kim Kum-jong from North Korea, whose team took the fourth place, was awarded the Bronze Ball. Kyra Malinowski from Germany was awarded the Silver Boot and Dolores Gallardo from Spain received the Golden Glove. The German team received the FIFA Fair Play Award.

The team’s manager, Choi Duck-joo, was praised for his gentle leadership style, emphasizing fun over winning and helping players enjoy the game while building their skills.

The FIFA website posted an article on the Korean team’s win titled, “Taeguk Ladies strike Caribbean gold,” lauding their achievements. The article described the last game between Korea and Japan as a “thrilling final packed with goals and drama,” and named the long distance strike (about 23 meters) by Korean midfielder Lee Jung-eun as the goal of the day.

First introduced in the late 1800’s, soccer has seen increased popularity in Korea, but the country has yet to win a World Cup event until recently, and expectations were low for the U-17 Korean women’s team. 

The adult team participated in the 2003 Women’s World Cup held in the United States, and the U-20 Women’s team reached the World Cup level only once, in 2004.

The 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup brought much-needed attention to the game, which had languished since its establishment as a professional sport in the early 90’s. The revival also brought new energy, support, and assistance to the women’s leagues, which experienced rapid growth.

At the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U-16 Women's Championship held in November of 2009, the South Korean team defeated Japan and North Korea in their respective matches, and showing a glimmer of their true potential.

This year, many of the same players from those matches two years ago took helped their team take third place at the U-20 Women’s World Cup Championship, held last month. The increasing competitiveness of the younger women’s teams bodes well for Korea’s future prospects in the sport. 

(Photo: Yonhap News) source:Korea.net