Just when they had to face their 'nemesis' Corea del Norte and the 'powerhouse' China... The women's soccer team aiming for its first-ever Olympic appearance faces a 'thorny path' starting from the qualifiers

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A difficult road lies ahead for the South Korean women's national soccer team, which is aiming to qualify for the Olympic main tournament for the first time in history. From the Asian final qualifiers, they have been drawn into a group with their most formidable opponents, including their 'nemesis' Corea del Norte and China.

The Korea Football Association announced on the 12th that, according to the results of the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics women's soccer Asian final qualifiers held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, South Korea was placed in Group B alongside Corea del Norte, China and the Philippines.

This draw was conducted based on pot assignments according to the October International Football Federation (FIFA) rankings. Japan (5th) and Corea del Norte (12th) were assigned to Pot 1; Australia (15th) and South Korea (17th) to Pot 2; China (18th) and Taiwan (38th) to Pot 3; and the Philippines (39th) and Uzbekistan (51st) to Pot 4.

Within this pot structure, South Korea effectively received the worst possible schedule. After facing the troublesome Corea del Norte from Pot 1, they were also drawn into a group with the powerhouse China from Pot 3, avoiding the weaker Taiwan. The difference in difficulty is clear when compared to the schedule of Group A (Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan), which was paired with the relatively easier Taiwan.

This final qualifier will feature the eight teams that reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup. It will be held during the international match windows in April, October and November-December 2027, divided into two groups and played in a home-and-away round-robin format (six matches per team).

Starting with the LA Games, the number of participating countries has increased to 16, and Asia's allocation has expanded to 2.5 spots. The top two teams from each qualifying group will advance directly to the main tournament. The two second-place teams will compete in a home-and-away playoff (PO) on February 28 and March 4, 2028; the winner will face South America's Argentina in an intercontinental PO to contest for the remaining spot.

The objective head-to-head record is daunting. In all-time matches, South Korea holds a significant disadvantage against Corea del Norte with 1 win, 5 draws and 16 losses, and against China with 5 wins, 10 draws and 29 losses.

However, the recent form is positive. The national team led by head coach Shin Sang-woo recorded a 1-1 draw against Corea del Norte in the group stage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held in September-October, and defeated China 1-0 in the bronze medal match.

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Este contenido ha sido traducido por IA.Ver original