For the first time at the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship, perennial contenders DPR Korea will be led by a foreign coach, with former VfL Wolfsburg defender Thomas Gerstner taking the reins.
He has much to live up to, with the DPR Korea team making the final in 2015, before going on to become FIFA U-20 World Cup winners (picture above) the following year, and the German said it was the quality of team which attracted him to the role.
“DPR Korea women’s teams are some of the strongest in the world, and in the world rankings they are very high,” he said.
“It was an interesting offer and it was the first time to go there, but now, after five months, I would say it was the right decision.
“We had five months for preparing the team for this competition, and it was very interesting because normally you don’t have that. Hopefully that five months of work will end in success.”
Gerstner, 50, who has coached a number of professional men’s teams in the German league system, believes his experience can help DPR Korea, even if they already boast players of the quality if Ri Hae-yon, who won the Silver Ball at last year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
“Some small details in training will help the team,” he said.
“It’s not a physical part, but – and maybe I’m telling too much – maybe some small details in defending and in the teamwork: this is now better than it was in the past. We have many players with experience and they understand it. Let’s play now.”
His opposite number, Thailand head coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian, also has a long history in the game, and took her country’s senior women’s team to a first ever World Cup in Canada two years ago.
She revealed her team have been training together for four months, before thanking the tournament’s organisers for a smooth preparation since arriving in China.
“We appreciate the facilities and training fields and every thing is okay for us,” she said.
“We have been here for competition many times and every time we appreciate it so much.”
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Photos: FIFA/Getty Images, AFC
Source: the-afc.com