Incheon, South Korea: Midfielder Kim Yun-Mi scored twice in the first 10 minutes on Tuesday as North Korea’s women footballers thrashed Vietnam 5-0 to lay down an early marker at the Asian Games.
A day after their men’s team beat China 3-0, North Korea dominated their opening group clash with 26 shots against just three for Vietnam.
Kim scored in the fifth and 10th minutes before Kim Un-ju and Ri Yeg-yong made it 4-0 at half-time. Jong Yu-Ri got the fifth against flagging Vietnam with six minutes to go.
The game was Tuesday’s only action at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, which will formally start with an opening ceremony on Friday.
North Korea’s presence has been one of the main talking points in the build-up to the 15-day tournament involving about 10,000 athletes.
South and North Korea technically remain at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict was concluded with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.
The North’s participation in the Asian Games was only confirmed after months of tortuous, heated negotiations that coincided with a spike in military tension on the peninsula.
Having virtually sealed a maiden quarter-finals berth after their 15-0 demolition of the Maldives in the opening match of Group A, the India women’s national football team will take on hosts South Korea in a tough encounter at the 17th Asian Games here Wednesday.
The 15-0 scoreline has infused a lot of confidence within the team but it will find the going much harder when it takes on the hosts.
India ticked all the right boxes from the first whistle against the Maldives scoring at will in either halves and virtually spent the entire 90 minutes in the opposition area. But the two-time SAFF champions will face a much sterner test against South Korea and head coach Tarun Roy is aware of that.
“I have watched them play against Thailand and they are a very attacking team,” Roy said about South Korea.
“They play a high line and their full backs overlap at every instance. They are like wingers. To negate that threat we need to play smartly and mark them tightly. We will look to pounce on the counter and play deep with five defenders. I am mulling a 5-4-1,” he said.
However, Roy has to leave out the injured Tuli Goon with Suprava Samal replacing the former captain.
The backline is expected to be built around the three centre backs Radharani Devi, Romi Devi, and Ashalata Devi. Umapati will play left back.
“The rest will be the same,” Roy said.
Premi and Bembem Devi comprise the central midfield with Sasmita Malek, who scored five times in the previous match, and Prameshwori Devi playing wide. Bala Devi will be the lone striker.