Korea claim U20 title

By HENRY MORABANG
NORTH Korea proved they were the best side at the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup with a 3-1 come-from-behind win over France in the final on Saturday.
Despite conceding a goal by French midfielder Onema Geyoro in the 17th minute at the National Football Stadium, coach Yongbong Hwang’s side held their nerve to equalise through Wi Jong Sim in the 30th minute before taking the lead through Kim Phyong Haw’s 55th minute strike and capping off a great contest against the Delphine Cascarino-led French side with a penalty to Jon Son Yon in the 87th minute.
This was North Korea’s second U20 title after last winning the U20 World Cup in 2006 in Russia.
The final was officially launched by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Fifa vice-president David Chung and the chairman of the Fifa U20 Women World Cup Sonia Bien-Aiem greeting players from both sides in front of 14,754 fans.
The game was evenly-contested through out the opening half.
However, France’s Geyoro produced a deft strike at the goalmouth to get the ball past North Korea goalkeeper Kim Myong Sun for the first goal of the final.
North Korea continued to push for opportunities with France’s defensive style similar to the physicality they showed against Japan in the semifinal.
But Hwang’s charges were single-minded in their approach, absorbing the rough stuff and dishing out some of their own.
Wi Jong Sim hit back for the North Koreans with a 30th-minute goal after taking a good low ball from Kim Pyong Hwa.
The halftime score was 1-1.
North Korea’s ability to maintain possession was the key to their second half as they frustrated coach Gilles Eyquem’s side.
Kim got her side ahead for the first time with a goal in the 55th minute.
On a knife’s edge for most of the second term, fans were waiting for the Les Bleuette’s flair to kick in a goal to be produced out of nothing but the stats backed Hwang’s charges who ground out the French resistance culminating in a 87th-minute penalty duly converted by Jon Son Yon. Despite an 8-minute addition for injury time, the French could find no way past North Korea’s proving just how determined Hwang’s side was.
The North Korean coach said he was happy with the performance and that his side had completed its mission.
“I am very happy and proud of the girls.
“North Korea has won the two World Cup titles this year, which is the U17 and now the U20 which is the significant achievement for us,” Hwang said.
“I am very happy winning this tournament. But we cannot stop here. We will have to set our goals and aim higher in the next women’s football tournament,” he said.
“We expect a lot of people to be at the airport when we return to Pyongyang to welcome us home with our World Cup trophy,” he said.
Hwang said he had anticipated France’ tactics after watching them against Japan in the semifinal.
He thanked the North Korea supporters, the local organising committee and the PNGFA for being good host to his team during their stay.
France coach Gilles Eyquem expressed disappointed with the result as his team had not stepped up in defence allowing two easy goals.
He gave credit to the opposition saying North Korea had been “very good” and “very strong”.
“They are good in offensive and defensive as well which made it hard for us to score,” Eyquem said.
He thanked the supporters for hosting his girls during their stay in Port Moresby.
“The support has been tremendous throughout the tournament and we had the chance to visit and meet some fans in the community especially Koki which the players would cherish for a long time,” he said.
“The team is disappointed with the loss despite the support we received from our adopted village and football fans in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“We have no regret about the result as the girls gave their best during the tournament. We cannot rest some of our top players such as Delphine Cascarino because all the games during the pool matches were tough and the best players had to be in the starting team,” he said.
Eyquem said apart from Cascarino, goalkeeper Mylene Chavaz stood out throughout the tournament.