Women’s World Cup Group Stage 0-1 defeat
Down a goal in six minutes and unable to catch up
Need to beat top-ranked Germany by five goals to have any hope of reaching the round of 16

Ji So-yeon, second from right, and other members of the South Korean women’s national soccer team react after their 0-1 loss to Morocco during the Australia-New Zealand 2023 FIFA World Cup group H match in Adelaide, Australia, on Tuesday.

South Korean women’s soccer’s path to the round of 16 at the World Cup just got tougher.

The women’s national soccer team lost 0-1 to Morocco on Tuesday in their second Group H match of the Australia-New Zealand 2023 FIFA World Cup in Adelaide, Australia. It was the second consecutive scoreless game for South Korea, which followed a 0-2 loss to Colombia in the first round of group play, and left them in last place among the four teams in Group H.

For South Korea to advance to the round of 16, they needed to beat Morocco, which was considered the weakest team in Group H. Morocco is ranked 72nd in the FIFA rankings. The Moroccans are ranked 72nd in the FIFA rankings, the second-lowest of the 32 nations in the tournament, behind only Zambia (77th) in Group G. This is also the first time Morocco has ever qualified for the knockout stages of a World Cup.

However, South Korea was unable to turn the tide as they conceded a header goal to Morocco’s Yitissam Zaidi just six minutes into the match. South Korea held a 53%-33% (14% contested) advantage in ball possession on the day. They also had the edge in shots (16-9) and passes (469-287), but couldn’t find the back of the net.

“We dominated the possession, but it’s a disappointing result because soccer is a game that is decided by goals,” said national team captain Kim Hye-ri after the game. National midfielder Ji So-yeon said after the game, “I think we weren’t good enough. I don’t know what went wrong.”

In the other Group H match, Colombia defeated favorites Germany 2-1 for their second straight win to move to the top of the group. With a 1-1 record, Germany is second, ahead of Morocco on goal difference. South Korea will need a five-goal win or better in its final group game against Germany on Aug. 3 to advance to the round of 16. 스포츠토토 Even with a five-goal win over Germany, South Korea will be eliminated from the group if Morocco ties or wins against Colombia.