The New Zealand women's under-20 soccer team's quarterfinal hopes were extinguished in a dramatic 2-1 loss to perennial contenders North Korea at the U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany early today.
New Zealand took the attack to the group favourites in the must win game and forced two sharp saves
from the Korean 'keeper inside the opening five minutes.
But a 12th minute goal from the North Koreans meant the New Zealanders were always playing catch-up and a Kim Un Hyang penalty in the 65th minute, after an unlucky handball from an unsighted Rosie White, made the task doubly tough.
New Zealand continued to push bodies forward and were rewarded with a 90th minute goal from the head of Bridgett Armstrong but an equaliser, and the point they needed to stay alive in the tournament, never came.
"I can't ask anymore of the players with a performance like that," said New Zealand coach Tony Readings.
"We're talking about an opposition that always performs well, they've made the last two finals, won it in 2006 and bring a core of players to this tournament who won the U-17 World Cup two years ago. But we deserved at least a point out of that match based on the performance.
"It's actually a game we thought we could win and the players have done a lot of preparation and have given everything they could today. On another day we would have come away with a result to keep us in the tournament, but the girls never gave up and I think the country can be extremely proud of them today."
In the earlier game in Group B, Sweden and Brazil maintained their playoff hopes with a 1-1 draw while in Group A hosts Germany booked their spot in the last 16 with a 3-1 win over Colombia in Bochum, and France are a step closer to joining them after a 2-0 win over Costa Rica.
New Zealand now travel to Dresden to take on South American Champions Brazil in their final match.
New Zealand lost their first pool match to Sweden 2-1.
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Germany 2010:
Group B: New Zealand 1 (Bridgette Armstrong 90') Korea DPR 2 (Yin Hyon Hi 12', Kim Un Hyang 65' pen)
Halftime 0-1
- NZPA
