HCM CITY (VNS) — South Korea finished the group stage as winners of Group B after being held to a goalless draw by China in their final match last night at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City.
It was open season at the beginning of the match, with both sides demonstrating a strong attacking game. But South Korea came out on top converting a higher percentage of opportunities, particularly in the dying minutes of each half.
“We created some good chances today but could not capitalise on them but the important thing is that we reached the semi-final stage and qualified for the World Cup,” South Korea coach Yoon Duk Yeok said in the post-match press conference.
South Korea, who has been seeking their first Asian Women’s Cup final, will face defending champions Australia in the final four on Thursday in the same venue.
“There is still room for improvement in our team ahead of the semi-final and our goal is to reach the final. All teams in the semi-finals are strong and the important thing for us is to ensure our players to go into the match in the best condition,” he added.
China’s coach, Hao Wei, was pleased with the draw and said his team would perform even better in the last-four match against world champions Japan in the earlier semi-final match to be held on the same day.
“We want to win every game but today we drew South Korea and it was ok, but we will be better in the games to come,” Hao said. “The semi-final game will be the most important for us and there will be changes for the match,” he added.
On the other side of the draw, midfielder KanjanaSung-Ngoen scored the opening goal in the first half, with captain Sritala Duangnapa adding a second in the latter half to help Thailand edge out Myanmar 2-1. Myanmar failed to convert opportunities during the match, with Yee Yee Oo nabbing the only goal for the side.
The win puts Thailand at third in the group and qualifies them for the play-off against Viet Nam tomorrow. The winner will win a ticket to the World Cup next year in Canada. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News