Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Nay Pyi Taw: Coach An Ye-gun pinpointed his DPR Korea players' "great mental strength" as the reason for the three-times champions' progress into the AFC U-19 Championship semi-finals, following their penalty shootout win over regional rivals Japan in the quarter-final on Friday.
Defender Kim Kuk-chol's first-half header had given the young Chollima the lead at Wunna Theikdi stadium but with eight minutes remaining Japan captain Takumi Minamino put his side back on level terms from the spot.
After extra-time could not separate the teams, it was penalties that proved the tie-breaker with An's side showing formidable precision scoring all five before Minamino's decisive penalty was saved by Cha Jong-hun to take DPR Korea into the last four of the competition, as well as securing a return to the FIFA U-20 World Cup next year for their third appearance at the finals.
"Today's match was about a conflict of mental, physical and technical abilities. Japan showed that they have great individuals and good tactical play, but our players had great mental strength and were mentally stronger than the opponent and didn't allow them to play their game," said coach An (pictured).
"Every time we train we always practice penalties, this something that is done throughout the youth systems as in the recent AFC U-16 Championship in Thailand we also won our quarter-final and semi-final matches through a shoot-out."
And having been coach of the DPR Korea side that lost out to Japan in the final of the 2006 AFC U-17 Championship , a measure of revenge over the same opponents in Myanmar was particularly sweet.
"We lost 4-2 after extra-time in the final the tournament in Singapore, so I am so happy that this time we were able to get the result we wanted," added An.
"Now that we have got to the semi-final and secured our World Cup place, we have one goal only: win this championship."
Japan's coach Masakuzu Suzuki, meanwhile, was left bemoaning his team's lack of finishing after his side had dominated much of the game and hit the woodwork in either half through Shota Kaneko and Yosuke Ideguchi.
"In this tournament we lacked the ability to score, and football is basically the game where you try to score and win. Today was the same problem: our final ball and finishing," said Suzuki.
"When we play against teams like DPR Korea you have to look at their defenders and then decide where to attack from. They were pretty tired towards the end and they defended in numbers.
"So, to score against that defence, you have to keep passing and passing it and try and score from the side. But we just lacked that little bit of quality today."
And Japan's failure to score a second led to the fateful penalty shoot-out and Minamino's costly miss. However, Suzuki refused to lay any blame on the striker nor his players for the defeat in Nay Pyi Taw.
"Minamino is a good penalty-taker and has a good scoring ability. I had no problems choosing him as the fifth taker," he added.
"I take full responsibility. The players gave their all for the 120 minutes. They didn't give up and even though they lost, this result will be a good experience for the players."