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| Ji So-yun, left, of South Korea vies for the ball with Nigeria's Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene during the Women's World Cup Group A football match against Nigeria in Grenoble, France, Wednesday. South Korea lost 0-2. Yonhap |
By John Duerden
The one negative aspect of South Korea reaching the final of the men's Under-20 World Cup on Tuesday and facing Ukraine on Friday is that the almost certain exit of the senior women from the World Cup in France will not get the attention it should.
On Wednesday afternoon in France, Korea lost 2-0 to Nigeria in the second game of Group A. Following a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the host on Friday it means that even if Korea defeats Sweden next week then a place in the second round is highly unlikely. The 2019 Women's World Cup is over.
Losing to France in the opener was not a surprise and was no disgrace. Les Bleus is one of the best in the world and was roared on by a big home crowd in Paris, but losing to Nigeria was different.
For one, Korea had to win and planned to win. Of the 24 teams that started the tournament, only eight are eliminated in the group stage. As a result, the Taegeuk Nangja understood the opening game against France would likely end in defeat. The plan was then to beat Nigeria and then take a point against Norway in the final game. Four points would be enough. Four points is now out of the question.
Against Nigeria, Korea had the lion's share of possession with 57 percent compared to 43 percent for the Africans. There were seven shots on goal for the Asian team and just two from Nigeria. In the end however, it was just two defensive mistakes that cost Korea and in the World Cup that means the end of that.
There was plenty of effort but it was not enough.
Nigeria coach Thomas Dennerby paid tribute to the Koreans. "It was a tough game and we had to be at our best to get something out of it," he said. "Korea is full of fast and skillful players and pushed us all the way."
South Korea coach Yoon Duk-yeo cut a forlorn figure at the end of the 90 minutes. "First of all, I need to apologize to the fans who cheered for us here in the stadium and back home because we did not meet their expectations," he said. "But I do believe our players did their best in today's match. Our players had some good chances but the end result is a loss and we need to accept that. We have one match left here and I hope we can show everyone what we are capable of."
It almost doesn't matter if Korea does that because it is too late. The likes of Ji So-yun and Cho So-hyun play in England for Chelsea and West Ham United respectively and deserve better, as do plenty of others. Back in 2015, Korea reached the second round. That was the minimum target this time but is unlikely this time around.
It should be a major disappointment for all in Korean soccer and it deserves a lot of attention. The problem is that with the men playing in the Under-20 final on Saturday, the women's exit may be forgotten.
