International visitors South Korea ‘B’ proved to be too strong for a young Canberra United selection running away with the fixture after the home team made several half-time changes to win the friendly match 3-1.
International visitors South Korea ‘B- proved to be too strong for a young Canberra United selection running away with the fixture after the home team made several half-time changes to win the friendly match 3-1.
South Korea started the match brightly with some slick inter-passing and movement causing the home team plenty of headaches and it was little surprise when it was the visitors who took the lead.
An intricate one-two on the edge of the Canberra penalty area between Hanwool Jeon and So Cham Lee ended with So Cham Lee curling a wonderful shot past Jocelyn Mara into the bottom corner of the net for the opening goal of the match.
The lead however didn-t last long. A long-ball over the back of the Korean defence freed Jennifer Bisset who cut into the area and pulled the ball back from the by-line to the awaiting Michelle Heyman. United-s leading scorer was left the simple task of tapping the ball into the unguarded net to level the scores.
Immediately afterwards Canberra should have taken the lead. Kahlia Hogg, making a burst from midfield, was superbly played in by Emily Van Egmond and bore down on goal but her effort was pushed onto the bar by South Korean goalkeeper Eunah Oh. With the pressure increasing, a delightful cross from Grace Gill was meekly headed into the goalkeeper-s arms by Bisset when the make-shift striker could perhaps have done better.
With the thunder rolling around Deakin Stadium, but the rain fortunately staying away for the opening 45 minutes, the match became a midfield battle with neither side able to show the intensity required to create a meaningful chance but with plenty of quality shown by both as the half ended 1-1.
As expected both coaches chose to make a raft of half-time substitutions and, with Saturday-s crucial Westfield W-League match with Brisbane Roar in mind, United Coach Ray Junna rang the changes giving game-time to a number of his young ACTAS charges namely, Catherine Brown, Sophie Kochinos, Georgia Yeoman-Dale, Ellie Raymond and squad member Grace Field.
United certainly began the half in exciting fashion with Kochinos creating a shooting opportunity for Munoz with a neat back heel with the Matildas striker blasting narrowly over the bar. Then a penetrating break down the flank by Kochinos saw a deep cross finding the onrushing Cian Maciejewski whose downward header was blocked by the knees of the Korean custodian.
For their part Korea continued to find neat patterns and, perhaps against the run of play, scored a wonder goal to re-take the lead, the impressive Hanwool Jeon caressing a 35 metre chip over the stranded Mara and when Yeonhee Oh glanced a delightful header past Mara minutes later, any hopes of a United victory were dashed.
MATCH STATISTICS
Canberra United 1 (Michelle Heyman) South Korea ‘B- 3 (So Cham Lee, Hanwool Jeon, Yeonhee Oh)
Canberra United: 20. Jocelyn Mara (gk), 2. Caitlin Cooper (18. Grace Field), 4. Michelle Heyman (8. Tseng Shu-O), 5. Kahlia Hogg (21. Ellie Raymond), 7. Ellie Brush (22. Catherine Brown), 9. Grace Gill (19. Jennifer Bisset), 10. Emily Van Egmond (23. Georgia Yeoman-Dale), (11. Cian Maciejewski), 13. Nicole Sykes, 15. Sally Shipard (24. Sophie Kochinos), 19. Jennifer Bisset (6. Caitlin Munoz)
Substitutes not used: 1. Kate Grarock (gk)
South Korea ‘B-: 21. Eunah Oh (gk), 5. Sunae Shin, 8. So Cham Lee, 10. Yuri Choe (18. Hanwool Jeon), 11. Hansol Jeon (2. Eunbi Kim), 12. Yeonhee Oh (22. Dakyung Yoou), 13. Bichna Kim (9. Bichna Choi), 15. Eunmi Baek, 17. Soojin Joo (19. Nara Lee), 18. Hanwool Jeon (7. Geumin Lee, 12. Yeonhee Oh), 20. Hyeseon Shiu (14. Daeuu Jeon)
Substitutes not used: 1. Yukyeong Min, 3. Yeonju Kim, 4. Yejin Kim, 6. Boram Song, 16. Seulgi Lee
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: None
Match Officials: Greg Taylor (referee), Luke Withell, Gary Vandeburgt
