Pride at stake for DPR Korea

Bochum: DPR Korea will be playing for pride when they meet Colombia in their final group game of the FIFA Women's World Cup on Wednesday.

The East Asians have already crashed out of the tournament following defeats at the hands of USA (2-0) and Sweden (1-0).

The eighth-ranked Koreans have had a disappointing tournament after reaching the quarter-finals for the first time four years ago, and also want a result in their first meeting with the 31st-ranked Colombians.

Korean coach Kim Kwang Min had initially blamed the effects of being struck by lightning at a pre-tournament training camp on his players' failure to win.

"This team is very young and they are inexperienced in such a competition as this," said the Korean coach.

"However, this World Cup will have taught them a lot of lessons. In four years time they will be stronger."

The United States and Sweden are already through to the quarter-finals unbeaten. The USA beat Colombia 3-0 and North Korea 2-0 as Sweden squeezed past the same teams with 1-0 wins.

They play each other for top spot group supremacy in Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

link: the-Afc.com