Brazil, England and Korea DPR got clean sheet victories to kick-start their 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup currently being held in the Dominican Republic.
Prompt News reports that Nigeria, Spain and Ecuador won their opening matches on Wednesday that the 2024 edition started.
It is thus interesting that Day two of the tournament produced another exciting slate of action, with Korea DPR leading the way in an impressive victory against Mexico.
Also, England and Brazil recorded clean sheet victories against Kenya and Zambia respectively.
However, goalkeepers stole the show as Japan and Poland dueled to a scoreless draw.
The fans inside CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros were treated to a superb first-half performance from the Asian side in their Group C opener, spearheaded by Choe Rim-jong, whose two goals sandwiched a score from U-20 Women’s World Cup Golden Ball winner Choe Il-son, with Choe Rim-jong earning the assist.
An opening encounter with tournament debutantes Kenya in Group C tested England’s mettle throughout, but a composed penalty conversion from Lola Brown and a late strike from Lauryn Thompson did the trick at CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros.
England found their stride just shy of the half-hour mark when Omotara Junaid’s fizzing ball hit the hand of Kenya’s Halima Imbachi in the area. Brown was tasked with penalty-taking duties and calmly tucked home for the goal.
England then pushed for a late insurance goal and Thompson delivered by pouncing onto a loose ball at the halfway line and firing a shot that deflected in off the post to seal the victory.
The Poles, making their tournament debut, were sizable underdogs against the 2014 champions and two-time runners-up, but they bossed the majority of the game. Maja Zielinska’s attempt was hooked off the line by Mitsuki Ota and, after excellent invention from Julia Ostrowska, Oliwia Zwiazek failed to keep her shot down when clean through.
The Japanese came into it late on, but were unable to find a way past Julia Wozniak, who did superbly to keep out substitute Miharu Shinjo’s strike.
No Brazilian women’s side has ever won a global title and even though they weren’t at their fluid best, the U-17s will be hopeful of ending that run after they saw off Zambia 1-0.
The Copper Princesses are appearing at their first U-17 tournament since 2014 and they started the brighter at the Felix Sanchez Stadium, but it was Brazil that struck first. Kalena Bellini tearing away down the left, her cutback met by Juju with the USA-based forward providing a tidy finish from the top of the six-yard box.
Zambian keeper Mwila Mufunte was impressive in the evening and she did well to deny Juju a second before a brilliant stoppage time save from Brazilian keeper Ana Morganti thwarted Blessing Maluba to secure the narrow win that sends them top of the Group D standings.
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