South Korea’s women’s soccer team failed to break down the “Great Wall of China” as they failed to qualify for the women’s soccer tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Head coach Colleen Bell’s team drew 1-1 with China in the third match of Group B of the second Asian qualifying round for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday at the Xiamen Eaglet Stadium in Fujian Province, China, after Shim Seo-yeon (Suwon FC) scored the opening goal but Wang Shanshan equalized.
The draw extended South Korea’s winless streak against China to 10 games (four draws and six losses).
With just one win and two draws in Group B (5 points), South Korea lost the top spot to North Korea (2 wins, 1 draw and 7 points), which thrashed Thailand 7-0 earlier in the day.
In the second round of qualifying, the first-place team from Pools A through C will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second-place team with the best record will join them.
The result means that Australia (three wins and nine points), North Korea and Japan (three wins and nine points), who are tied at the top of Pools A through C, will qualify directly for the four-team tournament next February.
However, South Korea, who finished second in Group B, were eliminated behind Group C runners-up Uzbekistan (2 W, 1 D, 6 P) and had to end their dreams of reaching their first ever Olympic Games.
Ji So-yeon’s (Suwon FC) ‘bad luck in goal’ was heartbreaking.
Bell brought out the same 3-4-1-2 that he used in the second game against North Korea.
Shim Seo-yeon, Lee Young-joo (Madrid CFF) and Kim Hye-ri (Hyundai Steel) formed the back three, while Jang Seul-ki (Hyundai Steel) and Jeon Eun-ha (Suwon FC) formed a double volante.
Chu Hyo-joo (Suwon FC) and Lee Eun-young (Lee Eun-young) were the left and right wingbacks, respectively, with Ji So-yeon “Jimesi” as the attacking midfielder.
The frontline duo of Chun Garam (KSPO) and Casey Eugene were in goal, with “veteran goalkeeper” Kim Jung-mi (Hyundai Steel) protecting the goal.
South Korea conceded the first shot on goal in the first minute against China, who went on the attack from the first kickoff.
In the eighth minute, on a Chinese corner kick on the right side of the field, goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi had a dangerous moment when she blocked a shot and was knocked in the face by an opponent’s knee, knocking her down for a while.
South Korea had a close call in the 20th minute when Uri Gumula was beaten on a Chinese free kick, but the offside flag was raised by the assistant referee.
In first-half stoppage time, South Korea squandered a crucial scoring opportunity when Ji So-yeon received a penetrating pass from Paer on the counterattack and fired a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area that hit the left post of the Chinese goal.
Korea had three shots on goal in the first half, but ended the half with no shots on target.
After a scoreless first half, South Korea opened the scoring 17 minutes into the second half.
Ji So-yeon sent in a free kick from the midfield, and Shim Seo-yeon redirected the ball with a header that rattled the net.
It was Shim’s ‘A-Match debut goal’ after 87 matches in the A-Match.
The team’s mood turned to disappointment when they conceded the equalizer in the 33rd minute of the second half.
China tied the game in the 33rd minute when Wang Sanshan headed home a free kick from the left side of the penalty area from the front of the goal area.
The two teams battled hard for an additional goal, but ultimately settled for a 1-1 draw. Ji So-yeon’s “bad luck with the goal” was compounded by the fact that she was unable to find the back of the net.
In the end, South Korea and China finished second and third in Group B and were both eliminated from the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the Paris Olympics. 파워볼분석
