The South Korean women's national soccer team, ranked 19th by FIFA, suffered defeats in both matches played in Australia.
On the 7th (Korean time), the South Korean women’s national football squad, coached by Shin Sang-woo, faced defeat with a score of 0-2 during their second friendly fixture played abroad against Australia (ranked 16th by FIFA) at McDonald's Stadium in Newcastle, Australia. Following their initial loss of 0-1 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on the 4th, they found themselves struggling once more as they confronted Australia’s superior physique and assertive gameplay in this second encounter.
Australia's two away games were scheduled for March of the following year to get ready for the Women's Asian Cup hosted in Australia, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Brazil Women's World Cup.
Coach Shin Sang-woo started the three WK League players, Choi Yoo-jung, Moon Eun-joo (Hwacheon KSPO), and Kang Chae-rim (Suwon FC), on the offensive line. Ji So-yeon (Seattle Lane), Kim Shin-ji (AS Roma) and Lee Young-joo (Levante Badalona) were in the midfield, Choo Hyo-joo (Ota and Lapid), Shin Na-young (Lexington SC), Lim Sun-joo (Incheon Hyundai Steel), and Kim Hye-ri (Wuhan Zinda) were in the four-back line, and Kim Min-jung (Incheon Hyundai Steel) was the goalie.
In an effort to recover from their initial-round setback, South Korea came out strong right at the start. Just eight minutes into the match, Kim Hye-ri directed her header towards the goal after receiving a precise cross during a corner kick; however, it grazed the crossbar. Nine minutes into play, Ji So-yeon attempted a mid-range shot which narrowly missed as well. Then, in the 32nd minute of the opening period, Moon Eun-joo unleashed a forceful attempt that ended up being caught by the opposition’s goalie. Despite maintaining pressure throughout the first half, they were unable to score owing to robust defending by the opponents. Instead, they found themselves unsettled when conceding the opener just seven minutes before halftime. This occurred when Mary Fowler capitalized on Emily Van Egmond's incisive through ball, gently nudging the ball past the keeper.
In the opening moments of the second half, Lee Geum-min took over for Ji So-yeon. Shortly thereafter, in the second minute, Kang Chae-rim sent a lofted pass towards the box; however, their set-piece attempt fizzled out amidst chaotic defending near the goalmouth. Following this sequence, Australia ramped up their attack significantly. Upfront, Caitlyn Fuld began making her presence felt following an entry substitution. Eighteen minutes into the latter period, Fuld struck the crossbar with a powerful effort after relinquishing possession because of defensive errors within scoring range. Despite efforts from Shin Na-young and Choo Hyo-joon to thwart them, Caitlyn Toffee managed to score past goalkeeper Lim Sun-joo’s blockage. This resulted in South Korea losing 0-2 against Australia, conceding another goal along the way. During these intense exchanges, more unfortunate news came as defender Lim Seon-joo succumbed to injuries. These setbacks proved insufficient to alter the match outcome. Later on, in the forty-first minute, Ko Yu-jin nearly scored during a dead-ball situation only for it to be ruled offside. They faced relentless pressure from Australian forwards right through till the final whistle, concluding both back-to-back matches with identical scores of 0-2 without adding further goals themselves.
Following Shin Sang-woo’s appointment in October, the Korean women's national team secured 3 victories, with 5 defeats, whereas the Australian squad achieved 3 wins, 2 ties, and suffered 15 losses. This pair of matches highlighted key areas for improvement as both teams prepare for upcoming tournaments like the Asian Cup and the World Cup next year.
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