* Translated by Papago

Starnews

Australia, which "lost the top spot in the group" by South Korea, was kicked out to Perth, 3,300km away" Thinking of meeting North Korea, "I'm crying."

Published :
Park Jaeho

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's women's national soccer team Kim Shin-ji is delighted after scoring a goal against Australia in the third Group A match of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /AFPBBNews=News1
South Korea's women's national soccer team Kim Shin-ji is delighted after scoring a goal against Australia in the third Group A match of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /AFPBBNews=News1

The Korean women's soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals as the No. 1 player in the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup group. Australia, which has been pushed to second place, is voicing regret for its long-distance travel and quarter-final opponents in the future.

South Korea, led by head coach Shin Sang-woo, drew 3-3 after a slugfest in the final third round of Group A of the '2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup' against Australia at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th (Korea time).

South Korea, which has two wins and one draw (7 points, goal difference +6), has the same points as Australia (7 points, goal difference + 5), but has advanced to the quarterfinals as No. 1 in the group, leading in goal difference.

South Korea will compete with the third place in Group B or Group C to advance to the semifinals on the 14th. Australia, which is second in the group, will play second in Group B in the quarterfinals. North Korea or China is the most likely runner-up in Group B. If South Korea had lost on the day, it would have faced the favorite from the quarterfinals.

South Korea's women's national soccer team players are delighted after scoring a goal in the third Group A match against Australia at the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /AFPBBNews=News1
South Korea's women's national soccer team players are delighted after scoring a goal in the third Group A match against Australia at the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /AFPBBNews=News1

The Australian version of the "Guardian" pointed out that "the vulnerability of defense and missed opportunities have put Australia on a tough Asian Cup journey." "By losing the top spot in the group to South Korea, Australia will have to pay the price of moving to Perth, which is more than 3,000 kilometers away for the quarterfinals," he said. This contrasts with the situation of South Korea, which is ranked first in the group and will remain in Sydney for the quarterfinals.

South Korea, ranked 21st in the FIFA rankings, played a tight match against Australia, ranked 15th. Moon Eun-joo (Hwacheon KSPO) scored the first goal in the 13th minute of the first half, but he was taken away by Alana Kennedy and Samker in the 32nd minute of the first half, allowing consecutive goals.

However, in the second half, Korea's fierce counterattack began. In the 8th minute of the second half, Kim Shin-ji (Rangers) calmly succeeded in the penalty kick obtained by the opponent's handball foul, and just three minutes later, Kang Chae-rim (Montreal Rose) scored a dramatic come-from-behind goal, quickly reversing the game 3-2. Although he conceded a painful equaliser to Kennedy just before the end of the second half, he ended the match in a draw without losing any more points.

The South Korean national team played against Australia in the third Group A match of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /Photo = Courtesy of the Korea Football Association
The South Korean national team played against Australia in the third Group A match of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on the 8th. /Photo = Courtesy of the Korea Football Association

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*This content was translated by AI.

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