Maiden World Cup win for South Koreans, Spain finish third
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – South Korea were crowned the new Under-17 Girls World Cup soccer champions on Saturday, after a sensational penalty shoot-out victory over Japan in the Final.
Following 120 minutes of open play, the two sides were level 3-3, and in the first round of penalty kicks, they remained un-separated 4-4.
After Tomoko Muramatsu rattled the crossbar with the first kick in the second round of penalties, Jang Sel-gi comfortably converted the penalty to formalise the victory for the South Koreans at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
It’s the second straight Under-17 Girls’ World Cup that will reside in the Korean peninsula, following the capture of the previous edition of the competition by political rivals North Korea.
The Koreans gained an early lead, when Lee Jung-eun’s found the top right-hand corner of the net from long-range in the sixth minute.
The Japanese responded five minutes later, when Hikaru Naomoto’s also connected from long distance, and gained the lead, when Yoko Tanaka’s rasping shot from 30 metres hit the back of the net.
When the teams broke for halftime, it was still even, after Kim Areum levelled the score in stoppage time, when she beautifully curled a free-kick from outside of the box into the top right hand corner.
Japan imposed themselves in the second half of the game, but they failed to make it count where it mattered most.
They regained the lead in the 57th minute, when Chika Kato beat the two defenders in the box before sliding a low cross from left corner into the net.
But both sides had established their outside game in the first half, and Lee So-dam brought South Korea level again, with a 35-metre rocket that gave the Japanese netminder Eri Hirao absolutely no chance in the 79th minute.
After the goalless extra 30 minutes, the game proceeded into the penalty shoot-out, where South Korea landed the trophy for the first time in their history.
In the third place playoff, Spain controlled possession, and finished third in their first Under-17 Girls’ World Cup with a 1-0 victory over North Korea.
Raquel Pinel’s 56th minute strike was all it took to see the European champions go past the dethroned World champions.