South Korea rout Bangladesh to set North Korea football showdown

South Korea cruised past Bangladesh 6-0 for their second straight victory in women's football at the Asian Games in Japan on Thursday and booked a spot in the quarterfinals later that day, when North Korea won their match as well.

Six players had a goal apiece for the Taegeuk Ladies in their Group F match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, some 140 kilometers west of the main host city of Nagoya.

South Korea, after earlier beating Myanmar 5-0, will play their final group match against North Korea at 4 p.m. Monday at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka, about 135 kilometers east of Nagoya.

North Korea, after beating Bangladesh 10-0 in their opener Monday, pounded Myanmar 8-0 later Thursday.

This result meant both Koreas secured their places in the quarterfinals as the two best teams from Group F. Their match on Monday will determine the group winner.

The two teams are now tied in points with six apiece, but North Korea are leading the group thanks to their edge in goal difference, +18 to +11.

In the quarterfinals, the Group F winner will face the Group E runner-up. The Group F runner-up will meet the Group G runner-up.

The South Korean women have not yet won an Asiad gold medal. They won three straight bronze medals in 2010, 2014 and 2018, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2023.

Against Bangladesh, Kim Min-ji, who scored a hat trick against Myanmar, put South Korea on the board in the 16th minute.

Jeong Da-bin made it 2-0 for South Korea in the 42nd minute. South Korea then poured in four goals in the second half, with Choe Yu-ri, Ji So-yun, Hyun Seulgi and Ko Yoo-jin each finding the back of the net.

Ji's was her 76th international goal, more than any other South Korean player, male or female.

Yonhap