2-0! 1-0! U17 Women's World Cup: North Korea knocks out Brazil to reach the final, Netherlands beats Mexico

On November 6th Beijing time, the U17 Women's World Cup semifinals began and both matches have finished. North Korea decisively eliminated Brazil 2-0 to reach the final, while the Netherlands withstood the pressure to overcome Mexico 1-0 and complete their revenge. Thus, North Korea and the Netherlands advanced to the final, where they will compete for the championship. Unless something unexpected happens, North Korea is very likely to win the title and pursue their fourth championship!

North Korea versus Brazil. North Korea has shown incredible dominance in this tournament, winning all three group matches with only one goal conceded to top the group. In the knockout stage, they ruthlessly defeated host Morocco 6-1, then swept Asian powerhouse Japan 5-1, achieving five straight wins to reach the semifinals, where they faced South American powerhouse Brazil. Brazil qualified as second in their group with one win, one draw, and one loss, then crushed China 3-0 in the knockout stage before narrowly escaping elimination by beating Canada 5-4 on penalties to reach the semifinals. From the start, North Korea controlled the match tempo. Brazil struggled greatly, forced into passive defense, committing fouls that led to an early red card and a penalty. Liuyuxiang calmly converted the spot kick. In the second half, with a numerical advantage, North Korea fully dominated. Liuyuxiang scored again to complete her brace, securing a 2-0 shutout over Brazil and an impressive sixth consecutive win to advance to the final!

Netherlands versus Mexico. Both teams came from the same group, with Mexico advancing as second place and then defeating Paraguay 1-0. Mexico shocked Italy by winning 5-4 on penalties to narrowly survive and reach the semifinals. The Netherlands, remarkably, qualified third in their group but continued their surprising run by winning penalty shootouts against the United States and France to reach the semifinals. In the group stage, Mexico had beaten the Netherlands 1-0, making this rematch unpredictable. This time, the Netherlands held firm and scored in the 69th minute of the second half to win 1-0, advancing to the final!

Group B of this tournament has truly been very strong, producing three semifinalists and two finalists. North Korea’s ability to top this group speaks volumes about their strength. With the final set between North Korea and the Netherlands, two teams from the same group meet again. In the group stage, North Korea had dominated the Netherlands 5-0, so it looks like North Korea’s championship win is almost certain, with hopes of securing a seventh straight victory to claim the title!

Written by / Sports Novel