Buriram: Kim Yu-song netted a first-half hat-trick as DPR Korea beat Malaysia 4-1 for the second time in four days to go clear in second spot in Group B of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 Qualifiers at the I-Mobile Stadium in Buriram, Thailand on Monday.
The Koreans had dismissed the challenge of Malaysia 4-1 in Friday’s first match of a double header in neutral Thailand, and it was just as easy second time around for Joern Andersen’s side against a Malaysian team that featured eight changes to the starting lineup.
The only action of note in a frantic opening 10 minutes came when Pak Kwang-ryong’s 25-yard free-kick sailed over Hafizul Hakim’s crossbar in the sixth minute.
But it was a very familiar looking goal that saw DPR Korea take the lead after just 15 minutes.
Jong Il-gwan’s corner from the left was headed home by Kim (pictured above), the same combination that had put them 2-0 up on Friday.
Five minutes later, DPR Korea went two ahead from another corner. This time, Jong crossed from the right and Pak’s flick-on found Kim, who netted from six yards out.
Shell-shocked Malaysia struggled to get into the game, and Ri Myong-guk was having a very quiet night in the DPR Korea goal.
Kim struck again just before the half-time whistle to complete his hat-trick as he turned in Sim Hyon-jin’s cross from the right.
There was little in the way of goalmouth action in the second half as the Koreans were happy to consolidate their lead, while damage limitation suited Malaysia.
But Pak piled on the misery for Malaysia when he tapped in Ri Un-chol’s cross to make it 4-0 to DPR Korea in the 79th minute.
Safawi Rasid responded with a fine strike for Malaysia in the 85th minute, but it was too little, too late as Nelo Vingada’s men fell out of contention for qualification.
Photos: AFC
This game takes a lot of effort on the most organized of the Asian Football Federation executives. After many attempts at Korea's home turf but not approved by Malaysia because of concerns and being affected by side factors, the AFC finally decided on both matches to go and return to the Asian qualifiers. The 2019 Cup between the two teams takes place in neutral places to ensure fairness and harmony among the parties.
ReplyDeleteThailand is the last place chosen to host this match and the return leg on March 27 next year. Although there are no advantages in terms of yard, competition space and the support of the home fans, North Korea is still highly appreciated by the experts of bongdanet.vn about its ability to win. Representatives from East Asia are having 8/10 most recent matches unbeaten, including 4 victories.
On the opposite side, Malaysia still left too great frustration for the fans of this country. Although it was not too difficult to be judged to fall into the group, Malaysia was ranked last with only 1 point after the first 3 matches. Even when meeting a fairly moderate opponent like Hong Kong, Malaysia did not win both matches and all players had to receive a red card. Further, the Southeast Asian team only knew of the tie and lost eight consecutive matches they attended.