'One-sided Support' for North Korea's Hometown, 1-0 Victory Over Tokyo Verdy in 'AWCL Championship' [Suwon On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

North Korea's Hometown Women's Football Club defeated Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza to claim the title of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL).

Led by coach Lee Yu-il, Hometown secured a 1-0 victory over Tokyo Verdy in the 2025-2026 AWCL final held at Suwon Sports Complex at 2 p.m. on the 23rd, thanks to a decisive first goal by Kim Kyung-yeong.

Earlier, at the same venue, Hometown had defeated Suwon FC Women to reach the final, and last season they also defeated the reigning WE League champion Tokyo Verdy to lift the championship trophy on Korean soil. The prize money was a staggering 1 million dollars (approximately 1.52 billion won).

Hometown, which suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat against Tokyo Verdy during the group stage of the tournament held in Myanmar last November, achieved the championship victory under the one-sided support of a joint cheering squad that filled the stands.

The joint cheering squad on the day sang a modified version of the South Korea national football team's anthem and used various cheering tools, including flags bearing the Hometown emblem, to support the North Korea team, Hometown, throughout the match.

The early atmosphere of the match was dominated by Tokyo Verdy, which maintained nearly 60% ball possession and controlled the game. They opened the scoring in the fifth minute of the first half with a shot by Shiohashi Yuzuko. Hometown focused on defense and countered with quick attacks. In the 12th minute of the first half, Kim Kyung-yeong took her first shot, but it was blocked by the defense and went out.

Tokyo Verdy continued their offensive pressure. Four minutes later, Aoki Yuna's curling shot with her right foot was saved by the goalkeeper, and the ball that flowed toward the goal was not finished. Afterward, the match saw an intense struggle in the midfield, with both sides exchanging rough fouls and engaging in sharp, tense exchanges.

The tight balance was instead broken by Hometown. In the 44th minute of the first half, during a counterattack, Kim Kyung-yeong received a pass from Jeong Geum and did not miss the one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, finishing with her right foot.

Having taken the advantageous position, Hometown also seized a decisive opportunity for an additional goal in the third minute of the second half. Kim Kyung-yeong headed a cross from Ora-on on the right flank, but the header was blocked by a save from the goalkeeper.

Tokyo Verdy, pushed into a corner, continued their offensive push in search of an equalizer. However, Hometown's solid defensive wall did not easily waver, and instead, Hometown created several opportunities through quick counterattacks.

However, neither Tokyo Verdy's equalizer nor Hometown's decisive goal materialized. The match ultimately ended with a 1-0 victory for Hometown and the AWCL championship. Cheers from the joint cheering squad celebrating North Korea's victory filled the stadium.

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*This content was translated by AI.