WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

05/23 02:41 CDT North Korean team wins Asian Women's Champions League soccer title North Korean team wins Asian Women's Champions League soccer title By JOHN DUERDEN Associated Press North Korea's Naegohyang FC defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 to win soccer's Asian Women's Champions League on Saturday in the South Korean city of Suwon. Kim Kyong Yong scored the only goal of the game, her fourth of the tournament, just before halftime. The North Korean international forward, who also scored the winning goal in the semifinal win over South Korea's Suwon FC on Wednesday, shot home from inside the area after receiving the ball from Kim Jung who broke free of the Japanese defense. Watched by a sparse crowd at Suwon Sports Complex, just south of Seoul, the team from Pyongyang had more chances than Tokyo in what was a tight game and deserved to win just the second edition of the 12-team continental tournament, following Wuhan Jiangda's triumph a year earlier. The triumph continues unprecedented success for North Korea in women's soccer. In 2024, the national team won both the U-20 and U-17 World Cups, and successfully defended the latter in 2025. At a continental level, North Korea won the 2024 Women's Asian Cup and the 2024 and 2026 U-17 tournament. "We don't have enough time to explain the evolution of our national football programs," Naegohyang head coach Ri Yu Il said prior to the final. "We have a specialized player development system. Players are well-trained from a young age and as they grow older, they contribute to good performances at AFC or FIFA competitions." ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer