Kolkata: North Korea continued their defence as they won 3-0 against Colombia in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup semi-final to set up a final clash with Spain.
North Korea had the better of the first half and showed their threat with a goal in the 28th minute. It was a lively start to the match and it was Pak Ok-I who reacted first inside the Colombian penalty area after the Colombia goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo failed to deal with the ball. Pak was quick to react to the loose ball situation and scored to give the North Koreans a 1-0 advantage.
Colombia struggled to create too many chances as North Korea continued to enjoy their dominance, and the momentum of the match carried on into the second half after Rim Jong Choe scored North Korea’s second goal with just a matter of minutes into the new half. The 2-0 advantage could have been greater as North Korea scored once again almost immediately after the restart, but it wasn’t to be as So Ryu Gyong scored from a well worked free-kick to put the North Koreans three goals to the good and effectively seal their place in the World Cup final.
Despite trying to find a way back into the game, Colombia found themselves restricted by the North Korean defence, and rarely threatened the lead. Agudelo made saves, but North Korea were still able to counter attack and threaten Colombia on numerous occasions.
It was to be a 3-0 win for North Korea, and they will meet Spain in the final after their 2-0 win over Italy in the other semi-final. The final will be an opportunity for the North Koreans to retain their world title.
