World Cup Team Faces Slim Chances after Loss to France

Team Korea now has only slim chances to advance to quarterfinals. In the second match against France in 2003 Women`s World Cup, the national team handed over a 0-1 slim victory to the French. Striker Marinnette Pichon scored the last-minute goal in the group B match held in Washington D.C.

With two losses, Korea is at the bottom of group B. Brazil, with two wins, is on the top, followed by Norway and France. To advance to quarterfinals, Korea has to score a big win against Norway, which records one win and one loss. Even then, it has to hope that Brazil beats France to make Korea, Norway and France tie with one win and two losses. Goal points will decide which one to advance, but chances are slim.

Korea, which is ranked 25th in FIFA, put up a good fight against the 9th-rank French. Park Eun-sun headed a goal near the post at 8th minute and the team looked consistently threatening.

The seesaw game continued through the first half, as Lee Ji-eun missed her free-kick chance at 31st minute and Pichon her golden chance at 44th minute on her part. Pichon`s bad luck seemed to continue as her kicks missed the goal post at 4th and 5th minute. Three minutes later Park Sun-shim headed a goal toward the goal post, but the French goalkeeper managed to block the shoot.

It was at 30th minute after the half time that the French scored the game-winning goal. Pichon found a free-kicked ball and made a turning shoot to score a goal.

Meantime, Brazil downed Norway 4-1 and picked up its second win to advance to quarterfinals.

Sang-Ho Kim hyangsan@donga.com