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China ends S. Korea women’s Olympic dreams

March 7, 2016
South Korean Olympic women's football team members look dejected as they leave the pitch after their 0-1 loss to China in Asian qualifying tournament at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, Monday. (Yonhap)

South Korean Olympic women’s football team members look dejected as they leave the pitch after their 0-1 loss to China in Asian qualifying tournament at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, Monday. (Yonhap)

By John Duerden

The South Korean women’s football team failed to advance to the 2016 Rio Olympics football tournament after their defeat by China in Osaka, Monday afternoon.

During the four games of the qualification tournament in Japan, South Korea has lost two and tied two. After the six teams play each other once, the two with the highest points will go to the Olympics.

Following successive 1-1 ties with North Korea and then Japan, South Korea’s 2-0 loss to Australia meant that anything less than a victory against China would end any chance of playing at Rio.

In truth, even a win would probably not have been enough but would likely have kept the national team’s hope for Rio alive in its final game against Vietnam, Wednesday, the only game in the group that Korea is strongly expected to win.

Korea got off to a good start with Jung Sul-bin forcing a good save out of Zhao Lina with a shot from inside the area after 14 minutes.

The Chinese, a World Cup runner-up in 1999 and a traditional power in women’s football, soaked up the early pressure but looked unstable with its aggressive style of play.

They regained confidence with the help of two wins and a tie in the previous three games, including a win over Japan, The Chinese team scored the only goal of the match in the first half thanks to Wang Shanshan. She scored just two minutes before the break.

It was not a good goal to concede. Wang headed a center into the net, unmarked despite the presence of a number of white shirts.

In the second half, Korea did its utmost to get back in the game and the coach switched the 4-1-4-1 formation to use two strikers and also used the width of the field to try and get behind the well-drilled Chinese defense.

Jung again was the danger while Jeon Ga-eul went close with a late free-kick from just outside the area but in the end, Korea just did not have the offensive power

It means that South Korea’s women will have to wait longer to make their debut at the Olympics tournament. It has been very tough for the national team, ranked 18th in the world, below all the opponents in Japan with the exception of Vietnam, to finish in the top two.

If there is any consolation, the team was competitive in every game and matched all the stronger powers, but just could not get the necessary goals.

South Korea’s women are improving, however, and perhaps 2020 will be their year.