By Kang Gahui and Lee Hana
Photos =Yonhap News

The two Koreas faced off in a match on two separate occasions last week, once in Pyeongchang and then in Pyongyang.

On April 6, South Korea defeated North Korea in the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championships, Division II, Group A, in one of the host cities for next year's PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Gangneung. The very next day, the women's national soccer teams had their own showdown in Pyongyang, ending with a dramatic 1-1 draw.

This was the second match for South Korea in its race to top Group B of the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. Not only did the South Korean team have to face an opponent that ranks seven notches higher in the world rankings, it also had to play in front of some 42,500 North Korean fans that filled Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Stadium.

Despite the home pitch advantage, the two soccer rivals competed for winning goals in a tight match.

North Korea was awarded a penalty kick just five minutes into the game, but the kick was smartly turned away by goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi. However, North Korea made a breakthrough at 45 minutes when Sung Hyang-sim threaded a pass between the defensive line and drove the ball into the net.

With a score of 0-1 at the end of the first half, it wasn't easy for South Korea to catch up after the break.

South Korean midfielder Lee So-dam attempted a goal 12 minutes into the second half, as did forward Jeon Ga-eul at 24 minutes, but they didn't manage to get past the North Korean defense. To readjust the team's offensive, South Korea's coach Yoon Deok-yeo sent forward Jung Seol-bin into the match 30 minutes into the second half. Just one minute later, South Korea's Jang Sel-gi weaved her way through the opponent's defense and scored a mid-range shot into the net. Despite repeated attempts by North Korea, the South Korean team repelled them all and secured a tie.

Subsequently, South Korea defeated Hong Kong 6-0 on April 9. The team has one match left against Uzbekistan, on April 11.

South Korea currently has 17 points, with two wins and one tie under its belt. North Korea, meanwhile, has 18 points with three wins and one draw.

If South Korea finishes the final qualifying match with two more goals than Uzbekistan, or with a 2-1 victory, it will top Group B and win a ticket to the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Jordan.

kgh89@korea.kr