A party roared in the stands in support of the Soca Princesses at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva this evening, but the well-loved hosts came up short, losing 1-0 against defending champions Korea DPR, who secured top spot in Group A of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trinidad and Tobago 2010.
The home fans were doused with cold water early on in this battle for a slot in the quarter-finals. In the first minutes of play, the Soca Princesses committed a foul near the corner. Korea DPR’s Pong Son Hwa took the free-kick, launching the ball to the near post where Kim Su Gyong sent it home with a sharp flick from close range in the third minute of play.
From there on, the Asians, with their direct and disciplined style under coach Ri Song Gun, out-paced the local favourites, their best chances coming from the right wing with a potent trio of Kims - Kim Nam Hui assisting Kim Kum Jong and Kim Su Gyong. Trinidad were frequently surrendering possession to their opponents, and their efforts to take the offensive were timid at best, relying on long balls that the focused Korean defence had no trouble handling.
Thirty minutes in, keeper Linfah Jones thwarted a good chance as the T&T defence were stretched, throwing herself at Kim Nam Hui’s feet to block a clear chance at goal. After collecting a well-placed long ball from Diarra Simmons, Kayla Taylor shot wide in the dying moments of the first half.
The second half proved more of the same: Korea playing a patient game, keeping tight control of the spaces and Trinidad lacking ideas of how to break the pressure. Kim Su Gyong went for a second goal right after the break which went wide.
The Asians remained on the attack as keeper Jones looked to have saved a sure goal just before Kim Kum Jong brought the ball into the penalty box. Kim Yun Mi had a chance in the 75th minute, but fired the ball over the bar. Jones showed great reflexes in blocking a close-range shot to the corner of the net by Kim Su Gyong in the 84th minute.
In the last five minutes, and with the T&T fans still roaring for their team, the Princesses had their best chance for an equaliser when Jasmine Sampson launched a powerful shot on goal which the Korean keeper deflected off the cross bar. But it wasn’t enough.
North Korea will go on to play Germany in the quarter-finals, hoping to defend their title. For the hosts, the loss didn’t prevent the fans from celebrating their girls with a generous and grateful ovation as they walked off the field in their farewell to the competition.
Even Pellerud, Trinidad and Tobago coach
We're disappointed with the result because we really believed we could beat Korea DPR. We made the worst possible start to the game because of a tactical error in defending a free-kick, and that made it an uphill struggle for us. We were very good in defence and very well organised but I was a little disappointed with the way things went up front. We didn’t play well in and around the Korean area and we can be more creative than we were today.
RI Song Gun, Korea DPR coach
It was a much tougher game than we expected. We thought it would be a lot easier, but obviously we underestimated Trinidad and Tobago in our preparations because they are a very strong team and have a lot of quality. No one can say what’s going to happen against Germany but we’re going to be fighting hard to retain our title.
Game Final.
Korea DPR 1 v T&T 0
Guong Su Kim ;
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago: - 21.Linfah Jones, 2.Rose Bahadursingh, 3.Diarra Simmons (18.Jasmine Sampson 81st), 4.Patrice Vincent, 5.Lauren Schmidt (capt), 6.Khadisha Debesette, 7.Brianna Ryce (10.Jo-Marie Lewis 46th), 11.Khadidra Debesette, 8.Victoria Swift, 9.Liana Hinds (13.Nykosi Simmons 73rd), 12.Kayla Taylor.
Coach: - Even Pellerud (NOR).
North Korea: - 1.Kyong Im Choe, 2.Im Song, 3.Gyong Un Ri, 7.Hwa Son Pong, 9.Sun Hui O (capt), 10.Jong Kum Kim, 11.Guong Su Kim (6.Suk Hyang Han 86th), 12.Hwa Jong Choe (8.Mi Yun Kim 65th), 13.Hui Nam Kim, 15.Ha Un Kim, 16.Gum Ok Kang (Yellow 33).
Coach: - Gun Song Ri (PRK).
Venue: - Ato Boldon Stadium.
Attendance: - 8,500.
Video: - Highlights.
Statistics
Korea DPR (PRK) - Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
14 Shots 9
3 Shots on goal 2
10 Fouls Committed 3
4 Corner kicks 1
0 Direct Free Kicks to Goal 0
0 Indirect Free Kicks to Goal 0
0 / 0 Penalty Kicks 0 / 0
3 Offsides 0
0 Own Goals 0
1 Cautions 0
0 Expulsions due to Second Caution 0
0 Direct Expulsions 0
56% Possession (%) 44%
34 Actual playing time 27
Other Results.
Mexico 4 v South Africa 0
South Korea 0 v Germany 3
Chile 0 v Nigeria 5
Heartbreak for T&T.
By Kern De Freitas (T&T Express).
Trinidad and Tobago's "Soca Princesses" bowed out of the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup last evening 1-0 to North Korea at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
Kim Su Gyong beat T&T goalkeeper Linfah Jones in the second minute and that strike was all the defending champions needed to ensure their victory.
A crowd estimated at 8,500 patrons watched the home team get taught a lesson of efficiency, focus and control by the Asians in the first half. Trinidad and Tobago raised their game after the interval, but the defending champions were still superior when it counted, and they got the rewards for it—a berth in the quarter-finals—at T&T's expense.
It was not the first half T&T had hoped for. The players were greeted warmly by the crowd and then by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar before kick off. But all of the fanfare and cheers for the home team turned to dreaded silence when North Korea took the lead.
Pong Son Hwa fired in her right side free kick and unmarked Kim Su Gyong controlled the ball and buried it in the net with her second touch.
The first 15 minutes were all North Korea. Keeper Jones made two good saves and the North Koreans also twice shot wide from distance. Captain Lauren Schmidt was also there to keep out a dangerous play by Kim Nam Hui.
T&T found it difficult to string together passes and seemed reluctant to attack in numbers. It took them 16 minutes to force their first save and even then it was off a through ball from Liana Hinds.
Hinds was also the catalyst for T&T's first breakaway five minutes later, but that final shot deserted her.
More than half an hour went before Korea experienced their first real threat, but no white shirt could get to Rose Bahadursingh's free kick. And on 36 minutes, Diarra Simmons had T&T's first shot on target, but straight to Choe Kyong Im in the North Korean goal.
That took some pressure off the T&T defenders, but they still went into the interval trailing 1-0, after Kayla Taylor missed a great chance to score in the 44th, shooting wide from the right.
The home side had the first attack of the second half, but the Koreans settled well, and Su Gyong could have doubled their advantage, shooting over and wide in the 47th.
The half-time introduction of Jo-Marie Lewis seemed to give T&T more punch up front, as she was not afraid to run at the defence. But the passing and shooting let them down.
Lewis played a nice through ball for Taylor in the 50th, but Korean goalkeeper Choe Kyong Im got there ahead of the midfielder.
Still, it was the Koreans's composure, passing and ball control that gave them the edge. Trinidad and Tobago's attempts in the attacking third were less assured and less accurate.
Both Swift and Taylor had efforts sail wide, while Simmons lobbed a pass for Lewis that was too close to Choe.
T&T grew in confidence in the last 25 minutes, but that was too late for a team needing two goals against the reigning champions to overturn their deficit.
In the 69th minute, Taylor hit the crossbar from distance, but the crowd had lost their verve, that is until a stray dog entered and ran the length of the field and back again. It was eventually chased away by the fourth official.
A few stabs from distance and resolute defending from North Korea brought the match to an end, although late substitute Jasmine Sampson did sting Choe's palms in the 87th, but the goalkeeper kept the ball out.
After two minutes of stoppage time the final whistle put paid to T&T's chances of progressing to the knockout stage. Yet the Soca Princesses were applauded by the small groups of supporters that stayed to the very end, for a brave campaign that gave the country hopes of achieving something great.
TEAMS:
KOREA DPR
1 Choe Kyong Im (Gk) 2 Song Im 3 Ri Un Gyong 7 Pong Son Hwa 9 O Hui Sun (Captain) 10 Kim Kum Jong 11 Kim Su Gyong (Han Hyang Suk 86th) 12 Choe Jong Hwa (Kim Yun Mi) 13 Kim Nam Hui 15 Kim Un Ha 16 Kang Ok Gum
T&T
21 Linfah Jones (GK) 2 Rose Bahadursingh 3 Diarra Simmons (Jasmine Sampson 81st) 4 Patrice Vincent 5 Lauren Schmidt (Captain) 6 Khadisha Debesette 7 Brianna Ryce (Jo-Marie Lewis 46th) 8 Victoria Swift 9 Liana Hinds (Nykosi Simmons 73rd) 11 Khadidra Debesette 12 Kayla Taylor