Spain gives up its crown in the penalty lottery

• DAVID MENAYO

Updated 11/04/2024 – 01:20CET

North Korea became U17 world champion for the third time -after the titles of 2008 and 2016- after beating Spain (1-1, 4-3) in a final that had to be decided in the penalty shootout. Celia Segura put our team ahead, Il-Chong equalized shortly after and the duel would end up being resolved in the eleven meters, where Spain was penalized for stopping a shot by Iris Santiago and the ball hitting the post by Pau Comendador.

Kenio Gonzalo put the gala team in the fray for the last dance. Spain did not take long to enjoy the first chance of the clash, a filtered pass from Serrajordi for I’m sure he hit the ball into Ju-Gyong’s body. when trying to resolve the heads-up. However, North Korea’s high pressure complicated our team’s release of the ballless accustomed to physical battle and excessively hermetic in the development of the game script.

gala team

Spain was not recognizable until after half an hour of action. It was difficult for her to find her essence and she did so when Pau, captain and soul of the team, came into contact with the ball. He tried his luck first with a right hand from outside the area that ended up in the hands of Ju-Gyong and then with a bicycle kick in a semi-miss that the North Korean defense had to save in the small area. The Madrid player also activated connections with Segura and Cerrato, but the short circuit generated did not result in a goal. The first half ended with North Korea’s best chance, a corner taken by Choe that escaped Laia at first, backing away after seeing how the ball bounced off the post.

The second half started with controversy, since North Korea requested a penalty for Carmona’s knockdown of Ryu-Mi. The referee went to the VAR and confirmed her decision not to whistle anything. The Asian team put an extra gear into the game, blurred Spain even more and shifted the momentum towards their side. Ryu-Mi was a real nightmare falling to the right lane, from where her team generated the greatest danger. Hyang Ro tried his luck with a shot from inside the area to which Laia responded well, who had to intervene shortly after to win a one-on-one against Ryu-Mi herself.

Goals back and forth

And when Spain was at its worst, the goal arrived. Pau created the play in the right lane, the ball passed through the area and Segura arrived at the far post to put the ball into the cage.

Just four minutes later, North Korea equalized the contest after Il-Chong won the space between the lines, evaded his mark and defined against Laia. The referee, who annulled the goal in the first instance due to offside, validated it once the VAR was consulted.

After a few minutes of tension, protests and contained anger, Spain suddenly took off her corset with a great individual play by Pau on the left side. The Madrid player went off her mark and set up Cerrato, whose shot was called a goal when Ju-Gyong’s mitt appeared to clear it for a corner. The end of the game was a back and forth where our team tried harder, without a reward, but they couldn’t prevent The duel, the final and the tournament will end up being decided in the penalty shootout..

Pau, Golden Boot

Spain closes the tournament undefeated, like its rival, and with big prominent names. One of them is that of Pau Comendador, who with five goals won the Golden Boot of the tournament. The Real Madrid player surpassed her teammate by one Celia Segurathe North Korean Choe Rim-jongthe American Kennedy Fuller and the Nigerian Shakirat Moshood.

It would be the fourth time, in eight editions, that the eleven-meter lottery would decide a title. And, as happened eight years ago -in the last Asian title-, It came out heads for North Korea and tails for Spain. The sequence was this: Segura, goal; Kuk-Hyang, goal; Iris, Ju-Gyong stopped; Pok-Yong, Laia stopped; Pau, on the stick; Un-Hyang, goal; Ortega, goal; Il-Chong, goal; Moreno, goal; Ryu-Mi, goal.