WK League News

Hwacheon KSPO were crowned winners in the senior division of this year’s National Women’s Football Championship following a 1-0 win against Gyeongju KHNP in the final in Changnyeong on Friday. It was a hard fought match in which both teams created plenty of chances, but in the end Gyeongju were unable to stage a rerun repeat of the teams’ previous match in which they came back from a goal down to win in added time.

The final was originally slated to take place on pitch 4 of Changnyeong Sports Park, the home ground of WK League team Changnyeong WFC, but the poor condition of the turf, evident in Wednesday’s semi-finals, led the organisers to move the match to pitch 2, an artificial turf. The same tournament last year drew criticism for the condition of the grass pitches, and moving the final (as well as a number of group stage matches in this tournament) was clearly the right decision, but it’s a shame for the tournament, not to mention the ever-struggling Changnyeong WFC, that their pitch is in such a poor state.

This final between the WK League’s strongest two teams was always going to be a high intensity face-off, and both teams found themselves covering a lot of ground as play went from one end of the pitch to the other, then back again. Hwacheon got the first opportunity to score just a few minutes into the first half, but Jung Jiyeon’s shot lacked power and was easily saved by Gyeongju keeper Kang Jiyeon. Less than a minute later it was Hwacheon goalie Kim Minyoung’s turn to show her worth, getting on the end of an attempt by Gyeongju forward Bruna Pele.

The attacks started to come thick and fast, defenders at both ends of the pitch knowing that a momentary lapse in concentration could leave their team in trouble. As the half went on, KSPO dialled the intensity up and seemed to be closing in on a goal, but Kang Jiyeon again denied them with two brilliant saves in a row. Gyeongju tried to make use of counterattacking opportunities, sending long balls forward to Hyun Seulgi and Pele, both impressively fast, but their attempts were fruitless.

Hwacheon’s best opportunity of the first half came around 20 minutes in, when they were awarded a direct free kick just outside the box. Choi Yoojung curled the ball over Gyeongju’s wall, but keeper Kang made the save, making it two in a row moments later when she punched away KSPO’s shot from a corner.

Shortly before half time it looked as if Gyeongju would take the lead as Hyun Seulgi got on the end of a perfectly timed through ball, catching Hwacheon’s defence off guard as she sprinted towards the goal, with teammate Pele close by and only the goalkeeper to beat. When Hyun was brought to the ground by keeper Kim in front of goal, even Hwacheon’s enthusiastic supporters appeared surprised when the referee indicated no foul. The heated exchanges following this decision led to four yellow cards for KHNP’s three coaches, with goalkeeping coach Kwon Kibo dismissed, the lack of actual locker rooms meaning he spent the rest of the match awkwardly hovering among the trees just outside the fence. With no VAR, Gyeongju had no choice but to accept the decision, grit their teeth and play on, but KHNP’s fans made their opinions clear with passionate cries from the stands suggesting the referee ought to watch the replay on Youtube (among other things). With the benefit of video replay, it is hard not to sympathise with them and wonder how the outcome could have been different had a penalty been awarded.

That said, Gyeongju had other opportunities that they failed to convert. As the second half wore on and both teams tried desperately to get the advantage, there were agonising moments for both contingents of fans. Hwacheon’s Jung Jiyeon couldn’t quite get on the end of an excellent cross from Moon Eunju, then at the other end of the pitch Gyeongju were awarded a corner, but Mai Kyokawa’s header sent the ball just over the crossbar.

Hwacheon finally broke the deadlock when, with Gyeongju’s defence drawn to the right, KSPO captain Jung Jiyeon found space on the left to move the ball up the pitch and deliver a cross. Keeper Kang almost got a hand to it but just slightly mistimed her jump, and Choi Yoojung was in the perfect position to tap the ball in and give Hwacheon and their fans the goal they were waiting for.

Shortly afterwards, Wie Jae-eun had a chance to double the lead but her close-range shot was denied by a great save from Kang. Moon Mira almost got Gyeongju an equaliser with a precision shot towards the bottom corner but Kim Minyoung made the crucial save. As the end drew near, Hwacheon’s players picked up a couple of yellow cards for time-wasting, still feeling vulnerable to a last-minute Gyeongju attack, but it wasn’t to be.

This was an exciting final between two top teams on excellent form, and the fact that there was only one goal in it in the end truly reflects how evenly matched Hwacheon and Gyeongju were on the day. KHNP’s fans may rightly feel disgruntled about one or two questionable refereeing decisions, but of course there is no way of knowing whether a penalty being awarded at that moment would have made any difference in the end. Hopefully women’s football in Korea will soon grow to a point where VAR can be introduced, but for the time being, teams have no choice but to accept on-pitch decisions and play to the whistle.

One individual player who stood out in this final and throughout the tournament was Gyeongju goalkeeper Kang Jiyeon. Kang joined the club on a one year contract ahead of this season after being selected in the 2025 WK League draft. The youngster made her club debut in the group stage of this tournament and played every match, conceding only twice and making some very impressive saves along the way, staying focused right to the end. KHNP named Kang as their MVP in the group stage match against Hwacheon, and her own composure is reflected in her teammates’ evident trust in her. She is yet to make her WK League debut, but surely we can expect to see this promising rookie in action again before too long.

The NWFC finalists are guaranteed to meet at least once more this season, when Hwacheon host Gyeongju for a WK League fixture on 8th September. If they both continue to perform well in the league there is also a high chance of them coming up against each other in the WK League championship final. Expect sparks to fly if that is the case.

Individual award winners

MVP: Jung Jiyeon (Hwacheon KSPO)
Outstanding player: Jang Selgi (Gyeongju KHNP)
Top goalscorer: Choi Yoojung (Hwacheon KSPO)
Goalkeeper award: Kim Minyoung (Hwacheon KSPO)
Defender award: Lee Youngju (Gyeongju KHNP)
Young player award: Choi Mina (Hwacheon KSPO)

The National Women’s Football Championship continues this week as the youth divisions reach their conclusions. All matches are taking place at Changnyeong Sports Park and are available for streaming and replay on Youtube via iTop21Sports.