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FIFA U-17 World Championship: US defeat North Korea [Sun Sep 18th, 2005]
The United States got past a very capable North Korean side 3-2 in Chiclayo to join Italy with three points in Group C.
Ryan Soroka opened the scoring for the Americans in the first quarter-hour. Quavas Kirk flicked a throw-in into the area with his head, but the Koreans were unable to clear and Soroka was on the spot to slam the ball home from seven yards.
Forward Preston Zimmerman broke free a few minutes later for the US and made a long run into the Korean penalty area, but drove his low shot right at the goalkeeper.
Korea equalised mid-way through the first half after some poor communication from the Americans. Bryant Rueckner, who certainly had his struggles at times on the afternoon, collided with his defender on a seemingly innocuous cross. The collision resulted in the ball at the feet of Choe, however, who calmly fired home the equaliser.
Moments later Korea caught the defence on the left side and should have gone ahead when the ball was played into space in front of a wide open goal three yards away. But Rueckner appeared out of nowhere to push the shot off his post before a defender cleared it to safety.
Midfielder Kyle Nakazawa restored the American advantage just before half-time, however, on a rare indirect free kick inside the Korean penalty area. Nakazawa bent the ball around an onrushing wall of white to beat Kwang Min Ju inside the right post.
The Koreans were unlucky not to earn a spot-kick ten minutes into the second half when a Korean player was shoved down just inside the area. The centre official awarded a free kick just outside the box instead, but the Asians were unable to convert that into a goal.
They kept piling on the pressure looking for an equaliser, but it was Preston Zimmerman who extended the US lead to two goals with less then twenty minutes to play after a well-conceived corner kick.
Kim Cook pulled one back for the Asian runners-up with four minutes to play but it was too little too late as the US claimed all three points.
There was not much separating these two, and the US should consider themselves fortunate to take all three points as they produced an unconvincing and in many ways inferior performance than the North Koreans.
The US resume Group C play against Italy, 4-3 winners over the Ivory Coast, on Tuesday.
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