*This content was translated by AI.
The North Korea Yeo Ja-chuk-gu (CEO) team, showcasing overwhelming attacking power, has secured an early spot in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea and North Korea, both with back-to-back wins in the same group, will face off to determine the group winner.
On the 17th, North Korea completely defeated Myanmar 8-0 in the second match of Group F's preliminary round at Osaka Nagai Stadium in Japan. North Korea dominated possession with 80%, unleashing 36 shots (16 on target) in a one-sided game.
After Ri Young-geum scored the opening goal and an own goal by the opponent, Pyon Ryong-jong scored consecutive goals to end the first half at 4-0. In the second half, Chae Geum-ok added multiple goals to complete the decisive victory.
Earlier in the first match, North Korea had defeated Bangladesh 10-0 and now sits atop the group with two wins (6 points). Having exploded for a total of 18 goals across both matches, North Korea leads the group with a goal difference of +18. This is seven goals more than second-place South Korea, which recorded 11 goals against the same two opponents (goal difference +11).
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Shin Sang-woo, also secured a spot in the quarterfinals alongside North Korea with a commanding 6-0 victory over Bangladesh at the same venue on this day. Starting with Kim Min-ji's opening goal in the 16th minute of the first half, South Korea recorded two consecutive wins as Jeong Da-bin, Choi Yuri, Ji So-yun, Hyun Seung-gi, and Ko Yu-jin all found the net evenly.
Having won bronze medals in three consecutive tournaments from the 2010 Guangzhou Games to the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, South Korea aims for a medal for the first time in eight years at this tournament.
In this tournament, 12 teams are divided into three groups for the preliminary round. The top two teams from each group and the two third-place teams with the best records advance to the quarterfinals to determine the champion.
Regardless of remaining matches, both North and South Korea have already secured their spots in the quarterfinals. They will face off in a decisive match for the group title on the 21st at Shizuoka Stadium. Historically, South Korea trails North Korea with one win, four draws, and 16 losses.
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*This content was translated by AI.
