Can the Korean women’s soccer team pull off the ‘Miracle of Kazan’ that happened five years ago in Kazan, Russia? Depending on the circumstances, they could make a miraculous run to the round of 16, but the conditions are even harsher than then. Still, they must play to win.
The South Korean women’s national team, coached by Colleen Bell, dropped to last place in Group H of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023 after a 0-1 loss to Morocco on Sept. 30.
With two consecutive defeats, South Korea is likely to be eliminated from the group. However, they are not out yet. That’s thanks to Colombia’s dramatic 2-1 win over Germany in their second game. Two-time winners Colombia (6 points, goal difference +3) are currently in first place in Group H, followed by Germany with a 1-1 record (4 points, goal difference +5). Morocco is third with the same number of points as Germany but a -5 goal differential.
The final two games of Group H will be played on Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. South Korea will face Germany and Colombia will play Morocco in the final match. There is a slim chance that South Korea could finish second in the group and advance to the round of 16. If South Korea beats Germany and Colombia knocks off Morocco, Germany, Morocco, and South Korea will be tied at 1-2. From there, South Korea could finish second if they beat Germany by at least five goals.
South Korea’s current situation is similar to the one the South Korean men’s national soccer team faced at the World Cup in Russia five years ago. The team was demoralized after dropping their first two group games against Sweden and Mexico, but they pulled off a miraculous 2-0 victory in their final game against Germany, then ranked No. 1 in FIFA. The so-called “Miracle of Kazan”. Even if Mexico had beaten Sweden at the time, South Korea would have finished second in the group and made a dramatic run to the round of 16.
However, the situation is different now. Back then, Germany and South Korea didn’t have much of a goal difference heading into the final, and Son Heung-min (Tottenham) was still scoring goals.
Now, the goal difference is too wide. Given the difference in quality between the two teams, a five-goal victory is virtually impossible. Moreover, the national team 토토사이트 hasn’t scored a goal in their last two games.
Still, they must go for the win. After the miracle in Kazan, the South Korean men’s national team spent four years preparing for the World Cup under Paulo Bento, eventually reaching the round of 16 in Qatar. The beauty of the World Cup tournament served as the foundation for a new beginning. The Korean women’s soccer team will need to put on a performance in Brisbane against Germany that could be the beginning of a new beginning.