AFC U-19 Women's Championship 2009: Korea still too strong for Vietnam

Goals from Kong Hye-won, Kang In-hae and Park Hee-young helped Korea Republic to a 3-0 win over Vietnam in their opening Group A game in the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship at Wuhan Sports Culture Stadium.

While far from a repeat of the 6-0 trouncing of the same opponents in the qualifying tournament, it was a classy display against spirited opponents, who ended the game with 10 players following Tran Thi Hong Nhung’s late dismissal.

Vietnam made a sprightly start but fell behind in the sixth minute when Kang’s corner from the right caused havoc in the opposition box and following a scramble, Kong had the simplest of tasks to side-foot into an unguarded net from close range.

Korea were content to dominate possession and Kim Na-rae dragged a low effort from distance wide of the post after 21 minutes.

Full-back Duong Thi Binh curled an effort beyond the far post for Vietnam but Korea doubled their money when Kang slid Lee Hyun-young’s low cross inside the near post.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet was proving a lively outlet for the Vietnamese but the striker was getting no change out of the Korean defence.

Kang bent a free-kick from the left edge of the box a whisker beyond the far post in the 36th minute but Choi In-cheul’s side were unable to add to their lead before the break.

They did not have to wait long to grab a third, though, as three minutes into the second period, Park latched onto an angled ball on the far side of the box and despatched a right-footed finish across keeper Cao Thi Loi with aplomb.

The heavens then opened and Bui Thi Nhu went down in agony clutching her ankle due to the slippery conditions and the defender had to be replaced.

Kim Na-rae then split the Vietnamese defence with an incisive pass to put skipper Jung Hae-in (pictured) one-on-one with Thi Loi but the keeper did well to get a piece of the striker’s effort.

Thi Nguyet then forced a save out of Moon So-ri in the 66th minute after she was played in down the left but the Korea keeper then spilt Hoang Minh Thu’s free-kick eight minutes later, sparking an almighty scramble in the box.

The keeper managed to block one follow-up effort but the Korean defence could not clear and Moon did well to deny Tran Thi Thu from close range after the ball was fired back in.

Kim Jin-young, who had looked dangerous after coming on as a substitute, fired narrowly over from the edge of the box at the other end before the midfielder had a tap-in chalked off for offside.

Moon then turned Thi Nguyet’s heavily deflected effort onto the post before Korea were awarded a penalty on the stroke of full-time when Hong Nhung was adjudged to have pushed Ji So-yun in the box with the forward trying to reach Kim Jin-young’s cross and the defender was sent-off.

But Jong’s struck the spot kick down the middle and Thi Loi beat it away