North Korea U20 dominate Costa Rica with comprehensive victory
North Korea Women's U20 secured a commanding 4-0 win over Costa Rica in the second group stage match of the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup on September 10th. The hosts controlled proceedings from the outset, establishing 77 per cent possession and creating constant pressure through 17 corners and 140 attacks. Costa Rica, meanwhile, managed only 29 attacks and just one corner throughout the entire contest. The opening chance came at the 13th minute when Kang Ryu-Mi appeared to break the deadlock, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside after VAR review. North Korea finally took the lead on 26 minutes through Pak Ok-I, a moment that shifted the balance considerably. The visitors' situation deteriorated further just before half-time when S. Pitty received a red card at 45+1 minutes, leaving Costa Rica to face the second half a man down. Pak Ok-I added insult to injury by missing a penalty at 45+4 minutes, a moment that encapsulated Costa Rica's frustration. Choe Yon-A then restored North Korea's two-goal cushion on 55 minutes before extending her tally from the penalty spot at 85 minutes. Ho Kyong completed the scoring with a late goal at 90+6 minutes, capping off a performance that demonstrated North Korea's superiority in every phase of play. The statistics tell a clear story of one-sided dominance. North Korea registered 25 shots with 11 on target, while Costa Rica managed just two attempts with none finding the target. The home side completed 459 successful passes from 530 attempts, compared to Costa Rica's 80 from 166. Costa Rica's goalkeeper was forced into seven saves, the most she would make in the tournament. North Korea's recent form suggests this result was no surprise. They beat Portugal 2-0 on September 7th and have shown consistent attacking output in their previous matches. Costa Rica, by contrast, have struggled, having lost to Colombia 3-1 on the opening day and suffering heavy defeats to Canada and the United States in earlier fixtures. The result leaves North Korea in second place in the group with three points from one match. Costa Rica sit third with zero points after their opening defeat. The gap between the teams was evident on the pitch, with North Korea's tactical discipline and clinical finishing proving decisive.Match statistics summary:
- North Korea: 77% possession, 17 corners, 11 shots on target
- Costa Rica: 23% possession, 1 corner, 0 shots on target
- North Korea passes: 459 successful from 530 attempts
- Costa Rica passes: 80 successful from 166 attempts
