North Korea Delivers Crushing 5-1 Blow, Eliminating Japan from U17 Women’s World Cup

The FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup quarter-finals delivered a stunner on Saturday  as Japan’s U17 national team suffered a devastating 5-1 defeat to archrivals North Korea. The result ends Japan’s dominant tournament run and immediately propels North Korea into a semi-final clash alongside Brazil.

The scale of the defeat was particularly chaotic, given Japan’s seemingly unstoppable momentum entering the match. They had sailed through the group stage and recently routed Colombia 4-0 in the Round of 16, building a fearsome record of 10 goals scored and only one conceded across four matches. However, all that confidence was instantly shattered by an aggressive North Korean side that paired overwhelming physicality with a relentless fighting spirit. The game began with an immediate action: Kim Won-sim opened the scoring just 37 seconds after kickoff, and only five minutes later, Lee Ui-kyung doubled the lead with an assist from Kim Won-sim. Before the first half reached the 22nd minute, Yu Jong-hyang had already exploded for the third goal, leaving the Japanese team completely reeling. Although Japan’s Nakamura managed to pull one back in the eighth minute of the first half, they were utterly outgunned. The second half brought no relief, as Kim Won-sim and Lee Ui-kyung each added another goal to complete the stunning five-goal rout.

The victory was a culmination of intense preparation for the North Koreans, according to Coach Pak Song-jin, who praised the opposition while celebrating his team’s execution. “Japan is one of the world’s strongest teams,” he acknowledged, “We prepared a lot, and we are very satisfied with this victory. Our players did their best until the final moments of the match.” Kim Won-sim, who is now the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, also shared her focus and joy, stating, “I am happy to have scored many goals. The six goals I scored are not just my own goal but the goal of our team and the entire squad. I want to score more goals for victory.” For the defeated Japanese side, the result was a bitter and shocking pill to swallow. Coach Sadayoshi Shirai was forced to concede, saying, “North Korea was very strong. Our players did their best. Although we conceded five goals, our defensive ability has improved,” essentially acknowledging the completeness of the defeat.