2017 Hwaebul Cup
{{infobox football tournament season
| title = Hwaebul Cup
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| year = 2017
| dates = 27 July – 28 August
| country = North Korea
| num_teams = 12
| defending_champions = April 25
| champions = Sobaeksu (1st title)
| runner-up = Ryŏmyŏng
| semi-finalist1 = Hwaebul
| semi-finalist2 = Kigwancha
| matches =
| goals =
| top goal scorer =
| player =
| highest attendance =
| lowest attendance =
| average attendance =
| attendance =
| prevseason = 2016
| nextseason = 2018
}}
The 2017 Hwaebul Cup was the fifth edition of the Hwaebul Cup (홰불, Torch) football competition, celebrating North Korea's Youth Day. The competition was held between 27 July and 28 August 2017, with all matches played at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in P'yŏngyang. The competition was arranged in two phases, a group stage followed by a single-elimination play-off semi-finals, and a single-game final.{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24921 |title=Sobaeksu lifts Hwaeppul Cup |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2017-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009093613/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports |url-status=dead }} Sobaeksu Sports Club won the competition for the first time, as the defending champion, April 25, were not entered into the competition due to their taking part in the 2017 AFC Cup.{{Cite web |url=https://nkaggregator.com/2017/08/25/mens-premier-soccer-league-for-torch-cup-in-dprk-2/ |title=Men’s Premier Soccer League for Torch Cup in DPRK |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306142245/https://nkaggregator.com/2017/08/25/mens-premier-soccer-league-for-torch-cup-in-dprk-2/ |archive-date=2018-03-06 |url-status=dead }} Ryŏmyŏng finished second, whilst Hwaebul and Kigwancha placed third and fourth respectively.
Round and dates
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| Round
!Match date !Number of fixtures !style="width:100px;"|Teams !New entries this round |
|---|
| Group stage
|27 July – 20 August 2016 |30 |12 → 4 |12 |
| Semi-finals
|23 August 2016 |2 |4 → 2 |none |
| Final
|28 August 2016 |1 |2 → 1 |none |
Group stage
Twelve teams took part in the group stage: Hwaebul, Jebi, Kalmaegi, Kyŏnggong'ŏp, Ryŏmyŏng, and Sŏnbong in Group A, along with Kigwancha, P'yŏngyang City, Sobaeksu and three other clubs in Group B. Ryŏmyŏng won Group A with three wins and two losses and fourteen goals scored, whilst Hwaebul finished second in the group;{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24874 |title=Hwaeppul Cup premier league enters final stage |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306202412/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24874 |url-status=dead }} Sobaeksu won Group B, whilst Kigwancha finished second. Kyŏnggong'ŏp finished third in Group A.
=Known results=
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date = 27 July 2017
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 3–1
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24740 Report]
|team2 = Jebi
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date = 27 July 2017
|team1 = Hwaebul
|score = 3–0
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24829 Report]
|team2 = Kalmaegi
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date = 1 August 2017
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 4–2
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24740 Report]
|team2 = Kalmaegi
|goals1 = * ? {{goal|17}}
- ? {{goal|20}}
- ? {{goal|54}}
- ? {{goal|89}}
|goals2 = * ? {{goal|59}}
- ? {{goal|63}}
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date = 8 August 2017
|team1 = Hwaebul
|score = 2–1
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24829 Report]
|team2 = Jebi
|goals1 = * ? {{goal|27}}
- ? {{goal|84}}
|goals2 = * ? {{goal|51}}
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 =Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 5–0
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24740 Report]
|team2 = Sŏnbong
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 = Hwaebul
|score = 2–0
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24829 Report]
|team2 = Sŏnbong
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 1–1
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24921 Report]
|team2 = Kyŏnggong'ŏp
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 0–0
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24740 Report]
|team2 = Hwaebul
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 = Sobaeksu
|score = 2–1
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24829 Report]
|team2 = Kigwancha
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
{{Footballbox collapsible
|date =
|team1 = Sobaeksu
|score = 3–0
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24829 Report]
|team2 = P'yŏngyang City
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
Knock-out stage
=Semi-finals=
The top two finishers in each group advanced to the semi-finals, with the first-placed team in Group A playing the second-placed team in Group B, and vice versa. As such, Ryŏmyŏng met with Kigwancha, and Sobaeksu played Hwaebul. Both matches were played on 23 August
{{Football box
|date = 23 August 2017
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 3–2
|aet=y
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24874 Report]
|team2 = Kigwancha
|goals1 = * #11 {{goal|28||93}}
- #7 {{goal|43}}
|goals2 = * #7 {{goal|7}}
- #10 {{goal|88}}
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
----
{{Football box
|date = 23 August 2017
|team1 = Sobaeksu
|score = 2–2
|aet= yes
|penaltyscore = 8–7
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24874 Report]
|team2 = Hwaebul
|goals1 = * ? {{goal|40}}
- ? {{goal|103}}
|goals2 = * ? {{goal|90}}
- ? {{goal|107}}
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
----
=Final=
The final was played at Rungrado 1 May Stadium on 28 August between Ryŏmyŏng and Sobaeksu, the winners of Group A and Group B respectively. Ryŏmyŏng started the game with a 4–4–2 formation and an attacking mindset, looking to defend by keep Sobaeksu contained in their own end. The first half ended scoreless, so both teams attempted to intensify their game in the second half. Sobaeksu, taking advantage of their physical fitness and better technical ability, created several worthwhile chances at the start of the half. However, Ryŏmyŏng seized an opportunity to counter, and No. 10 opened the scoring with a long-range shot in the 56th minute. Six minutes from full time, Sobaeksu made a break up the left wing, and No. 9 pounced on No. 8's cross into the box to equalise and send the match into extra time. In the 8th minute of extra time, Ryomyong's No. 14 was sent off, but despite the numerical disadvantage, they continued to press their attack. However, in the 21st minute they turned the ball over on a misplayed pass, and scored the winning goal on a quick counter-attack, giving Sobaeksu the win and their first Hwaebul Cup title.
{{Football box
|date = 28 August 2017
|team1 = Ryŏmyŏng
|score = 2–3
|aet=y
|report = [http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24921 Report]
|team2 = Sobaeksu
|goals1 =
- ? {{goal|37}}
- ? {{goal|56}}
|goals2 =
- ? {{goal|62}}
- ? {{goal|84}}
- ? {{goal|111}}
|stadium = Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, P'yŏngyang
}}
| width=92% | |
| {{Football kit
| pattern_la= | pattern_b= | pattern_ra= | pattern_sh= | leftarm=EF1010 | body=EF1010 | rightarm=EF1010 | shorts=EF1010 | socks=EF1010 | title = Ryŏmyŏng }} | {{Football kit | pattern_la = | pattern_b = | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = | leftarm = FFFFFF | body = FFFFFF | rightarm = FFFFFF | shorts = FFFFFF | socks = FFFFFF | title = Sobaeksu }} |
| width=95% |
| align=center
|2017 Hwaebul Cup |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Football in North Korea}}
{{Hwaebul Cup}}
{{2017 in Asian football (AFC)}}