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| AFC Challenge Cup |
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| Bittersweet finish for Jo |
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| DPR Korea coach Jo Tong-sop was happy with the 4-0 win over Myanmar but was still disappointed not to be contesting the AFC Challenge Cup final. |
NEW DELHI – Jo Tong-sop admitted he was happy DPR Korea comprehensively defeated Myanmar to finish third but also expressed his regret that the East Asians weren’t contesting the AFC Challenge Cup trophy.
"We were very disappointed with not making the final of this tournament. We tried our best to succeed in this tournament but we failed to make it,” Jo said after overseeing DPR Korea’s 4-0 victory over their fellow AFC Challenge Cup debutants.
"We came into this match with the intention of recording a win and scoring as many goals as possible.
"Once we got three goals in the first half we also had a good chance to give some of the players on the bench a little bit of time on the field."
Pak Song-chol claimed a hat-trick while Ro Hak-su also got on the score sheet as the Koreans comfortably outclassed Myanmar, for whom Han Win Aung was sent-off after collecting a second yellow card for felling So Kwang-chol in the box just before the break.
Pak netted the resultant penalty to complete his hat-trick as the forward moved to the top of the scoring charts with six goals.
Myanmar coach Marcos Falopa, meanwhile, was still pleased with the way his team had performed throughout the tournament, suggesting that the heavy defeat to the Koreans was down in part to their lack of experience on the international stage.
"One of the reasons why we are not a team to reckon with is that we don't have enough experience and exposure," he said.
"But this tournament has given the players some good exposure. We have tried hard to show good skills and technique.
"I was particularly impressed with the way they played against India in the semi-finals."
The Brazilian, however, was not so impressed with the individual errors that contributed to the lob sided score line but felt that the delay and the switch in venue didn’t do his side any favours.
"We didn't expect to lose by this margin against Korea,” he added.
"Perhaps it was the fact that we were mentally prepared to play on Sunday rather than on Wednesday.
"But we made some stupid mistakes in defence and that gave the Koreans a chance to go 3-0 up. It’s always difficult to come back from there.
"But this game also gave me the chance to assess the skills of some of players and I think I have a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses."
Coach Jo Tong-sop admitted he was determined to end DPR Korea’s AFC Challenge Cup campaign on a triumphant note after they defeated Myanmar 4-0 in the third-place play-off on Wednesday.
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