ASA: DPR Korea has won the Australia Cup, rounding out the week-long tournament with a double-figures victory over New Zealand, whilst the Matildas’ scoreless draw against China gave the home side second place.
Australia were unable to record a win for themselves tonight, after failing to score from two successive chances from the penalty spot in the second half.
The Matildas’ hopes of winning a fourth Australia Cup title had been all but dashed when the impressive North Korean outfit, level on points with Australia going into the day, defeated New Zealand 11-0 in the early match at Brisbane’s QEII Stadium.
Nevertheless, the new-look Australian side took the field full of confidence against the youthful China, but for all their dominance of possession throughout the match, found it difficult to penetrate an opponent which got behind the ball well. At the other end, China enjoyed few chances to attack the Australian goal.
Australia’s best chances of the first half came in the opening period of play, April Mann hitting wide from a good opportunity in the 11th minute. Katie Gill then produced the best chance of the match from open play in the 17th minute, unlucky not to see her 20 metre dipping strike from a Tal Karp cutback crash against the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.
Six minutes later, Gill beat her marker to a ball in from the right, but her first-time attempt from 16 metres flew skywards. Australia continued to hold the upper hand, but the finishing touch eluded them.
Striker Lisa De Vanna had three attempts early in the second half to break the deadlock for Australia, but still no reward as the Chinese goalkeeper met the challenge.
The match then took a dramatic turn when Australia was awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute after substitute Selin Kuralay was taken down in the right hand side of the box. Joanne Peters stepped up for the spot kick, but the captain’s attempt was well saved by keeper Weng Xiaojie low down to her right. The Matildas received a reprieve with the referee directing that the penalty be retaken as the Chinese had encroached upon the first penalty.
Amidst the protesting Chinese, youngster Kuralay took it upon herself to take the second spot kick. Her kick cracked against the left post, eluded the goalkeeper and flew across the face of goal and struck the right post, and Kuralay drilled the rebound into the back of the net. However, the goal was disallowed as no other player had made contact with the ball, meaning only a player other than the original penalty taker could finish off the chance.
Five minutes later, more drama unfolded. Another yellow card to China prompted further protests from the visitors, and play was delayed for a couple of minutes as the Chinese walked off, refusing to continue play.
Australia had a couple more chances to claim the lead towards the end of play, but in the end came close to conceding a late winner to China, but the Chinese shot was cleared off the line by substitute Leah Blayney.
Australian National Coach Adrian Santrac could find some positives from the game with the longer term success in mind. “It was a tough match. We’re obviously disappointed not to have won the game, but a lot of experience was gained by our many new players. China is a very streetwise team, they defended in numbers and really tightened up in the defensive areas. You need to be very experienced to break down that sort of play.”
“We should have scored from the penalty, and there were other opportunities to score. We were in the last 30 metres countless times, but where we needed composure and patience, at the moment these are areas which need refining. This is the reason why we have chosen these teams – they are the games we’ll learn from. This is the type of opposition we need to play regularly.”
In the early match tonight, DPR Korea showed exactly why they are the current Asian champions and the seventh-ranked team in the world. Their polished skill on the ball and crisp speed of movement was a class above the inexperienced New Zealand who had no answers to the Korean onslaught.
Ri Kum Suk opened the Korean account on the quarter-hour mark, picked out with a fantastic cross from the left and finishing with a drive from 15 metres. Seven minutes later, a missed attempt by the New Zealand last defender to head clear a long ball forward allowed Yun Yong Hui in with only the keeper to beat, slotting home from 12 metres. North Korea’s next came in the 34th minute from a pinpoint corner kick which was met by a powerful header from Ri Hyang Ok.
The three-goal first half was followed up by a flurry of eight goals after the break by the North Korean maestros. Star striker Jin Pyol Hui produced a second half hattrick, whilst teammate Jong Pok Sim scored a pair in a game where the goals were shared between eight different players.
6TH AUSTRALIA CUP
18-24 February 2004
QEII Stadium, Brisbane, Australia
MATCH DAY THREE
Game Two
Tuesday 24 February 2004
Result:
AUSTRALIA 0
CHINA 0
Halftime score: 0-0
Kickoff: 7.30pm
Weather: Warm, humid, light showers, 24°C
Pitch condition: Damp, Very good flat grassy surface
Match Officials:
Referee – Krystyna Szokolai, Assistant Referees – Jacqui Leleu, Airlie Keen, Fourth Official – Jacqui Melksham (all AUS)
AUSTRALIA Lineup:
Cassandra Kell (GK), Karla Reuter, Dianne Alagich, Rhian Davies, Tal Karp (Leah Blayney 46′), Sarah Walsh (Gill Foster 57′), Kate McShea, Joanne Peters (capt), Lisa De Vanna, Amy Taylor, Katie Gill (Selin Kuralay 46′).
Unused Substitutes:
April Mann, Pam Grant, Melissa Barbieri (GK). (Lana Harch unavailable due to injury).
Cautions: Kuralay 81′, Alagich 90+’.
Expulsions: nil
CHINA Lineup:
Weng Xiaojie (GK), Gao Yan, Guo Lin, Wang Kun, Hou Iijia (capt), Fan Tingting, Xu Yuan (Wang Yihang 83′), Wang Dandan, Liu Sa (Lou Xiaoxu 90+’), Guo Yue, Sun Yongxia (Weng Xinzhi 90+’).
Unused Substitutes: Li Shasha, You Jia, Zhang Wen, Hao Danyang (GK).
Cautions: Wang Kun 50′, Guo Yue 73′, Hou Iijia 73′, Wang Dandan 78′.
Expulsions: nil
MATCH DAY THREE
Game One – Tuesday 24 February 2004
Result:
DPR KOREA 11 (Ri Kum Suk 15′, Yun Yong Hui 22′, Ri Hyang Ok 34′, O Kum Ran 47′, Jin Pyol Hui 52′, 62′, 78′, own goal 59′, Jong Pok Sim 67′, 71′, Ri Un Gyong 75′) NEW ZEALAND 0
Halftime score: 3-0
Kickoff: 5.00pm
Weather: Warm, humid, occasional rain, 26°C
Pitch condition: Wet, Very good flat grassy surface
Match Officials:
Referee – Tammy Ogston, Assistant Referees – Sarah Ho, Rebecca Brose, Fourth Official – Jacqui Melksham (all AUS)
DPR KOREA Lineup:
Ri Jong Hui (GK) (Chon Kyong Hwa 46′), Yun In Sil (Jon Hye Yong 46′), Ra Mi Ae (O Kum Ran 46), Ri Kum Suk (Jong Pok Sim 44′), Sok Chun Myong, Ho Sun Hui (Jin Pyol Hui 23′), Yun Yong Hui (Ri Un Gyong 46′), Jang Ok Gyong, Song Jong Sun, Pak Kyong Sun (Ri Hyang Ok 23′), Yang Kyong Hui.
Unused Substitutes: Nil, (Ineligible to play – So Yong Ran, Sin Kum Ok).
Cautions: Ri Hyang Ok 39′.
Expulsions: nil
NEW ZEALAND Lineup:
Jenny Bindon (GK) (Rachel Howard 63′), Brooke Rangi (Sarah Gibbs 58′), Maia Jackman (Sara Clapham 74′), Rebecca Smith (capt) (Meisha Pyke 68′), Hayley Moorwood, Amber Hearn (Naomi Clarke 68′), Pip Meo (Zoe Thompson 38′), Simone Ferrara, Rebecca Simpson, Rebecca Sowden, Zarnia Cogle.
Unused Substitutes: Nil. (Priscilla Duncan – suspended)
Cautions: nil
Expulsions: nil
FULL REVIEW
18 February
Australia 2 New
Zealand 0
China 0 DPR Korea 3
22 February
Australia v DPR Korea – Match Abandoned due to adverse weather
New Zealand 0 China 3
24 February
Australia 0 China 0
DPR Korea 11 New Zealand 0
Final Points Table :
Teams P W D L F A GD Pts
DPR Korea README.md TGA_articles_csv-utf8.txt convert2wp.sh convertcsv2wp.sh convertsql2csv.sh cook examples fij file_tmp hello.txt ncl netfenua.wordpress.2016-09-14.xml ofc output output-problems.txt process-utf8.txt salomon samoa sed.txt sed_diese.txt temp.csv temp_br.csv temp_noaddthis.csv temp_nodash.csv temp_unline.csv temp_utf8.csv test.txt test.xml test2.txt test2.xml test_diese.txt tftnisipf.wordpress.2016-09-09.xml tonga urlencode.sed vanuatu 3 2 1 0 14 0 14 7
Australia README.md TGA_articles_csv-utf8.txt convert2wp.sh convertcsv2wp.sh convertsql2csv.sh cook examples fij file_tmp hello.txt ncl netfenua.wordpress.2016-09-14.xml ofc output output-problems.txt process-utf8.txt salomon samoa sed.txt sed_diese.txt temp.csv temp_br.csv temp_noaddthis.csv temp_nodash.csv temp_unline.csv temp_utf8.csv test.txt test.xml test2.txt test2.xml test_diese.txt tftnisipf.wordpress.2016-09-09.xml tonga urlencode.sed vanuatu 3 1 2 0 2 0 2 5
China 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
New Zealand 3 0 0 3 0 16-16 0