North Korea beat the U.S. Under-17s at the Women's World Cup, but it shouldn't come as a shock

North Korea routed the United States 3-0 in the Women’s U17 World Cup quarterfinal on Sunday, extending its run as the tournament’s dominant youth force. North Korea will face Japan, the reigning Asian Cup champions, in Wednesday’s semifinals. The match was defined by North Korea’s control in both attack and defense, including sustained pressure throughout the 90 minutes. Ri Ui-Gyong opened the scoring in the 31st minute, Ri Ye-Rim doubled four minutes into first-half stoppage time, and Ri Ui-Gyong added a third in the 56th minute, finishing Kim Won Sim’s cross. The win followed North Korea’s Morocco triumph last year.