Women"s team suffer heavy defeat in Asian Games opener

Classy DPRK showed their pace and precision in attacks, which came from the left and right flanks. They went ahead after five minutes. Kil Son Hui shot the ball past goalkeeper Dang Kieu Trinh from 25 metres out.

The defending champions continued to dominate the games and they extended the lead 12 minutes later. Captain Ri Kum Suk produced a good cross from the left flank, which was palmed away by Kieu Trinh, and Ri Un Gyong picked up the rebound and ghosted past two Vietnamese defenders and slotted the ball into the left corner.

Kim Kyung Hwa made it 3-0 in the 22nd minute with a superb cannonball right up the centre, which chipped off the left post and into the back of the net.

Five minutes later, Kim Kyung Hwa set up Ri Kum Suk with a pinpoint right flank cross to head the ball in.

DPRK continued to outplay the Vietnamese side and came very close with one goal disallowed due to a late offside call. In the stoppage time, Song Jong Sun broke down to the right flank, dribbling past two defenders to the centre and finding Kil Son Hui, who scored her second goal and helped DPRK take a 5-0 lead.

After the break, DPRK continued to dominate the game. However, with the game apparently won, DPRK rested some key players, including capital Ri Kum Suk, and reduced their pace. The champions came close in the second half, with their substitute striker struck the bar.

The Vietnamese team launched their first attack after the one hour mark with Tran Thi Kim Hong failing to trouble the DPRK goalie with a long distance finish.   

Four years ago, in Busan, the republic of Korea, Vietnam lost 6-0 to eventual champions People”s Democratic Republic of Korea in their opening match.

In another match of Group B, the Republic of Korea beat Chinese Taipei 2-0.

Vietnam next play the Republic of Korea on December 4 before meeting the Chinese Taipei on December 7.

Nhan dan