Greg Ryan, USA coach
I enjoyed the game. There were two great teams on
display tonight. We had chances to win and so did they. We knew how
tough this game was going to be beforehand. I am proud of my
players for coming back from a goal down to earn a draw. Sure we
would like to have won our first game, but this was a real tough
one and a draw seems like a fair result. Abby (Wambach) was off the
field when the goals were scored, but she is very important so I
thought we could hang on with ten. In the end we conceded two while
she was off. I regretted not taking her off when the score became
2-1 but I would make the same decision if presented with it again.
We knew the Koreans would attack us and we tried to keep them under
pressure. They are one of the hardest teams to play against.
Kim Kwang-Min, Korea DPR coach
It was my first time leading a team to play in the
FIFA Women's World Cup and it is a big thrill. Now we know the
level of the competition and where we stand. We pulled off a very
good result tonight against one of the best teams in the world and
this is something we can be proud of. I think the USA is the best
team in the world frankly, but today they did not perform to the
best of their ability and we took advantage of it. I think we
played well tonight and I am satisfied. I hope we can get better as
the tournament goes on. Our fans supported us very well tonight and
we took great strength from them, as well as the Chinese fans. Our
goal here is to be named world champion.
Kristine Lilly, USA captain
I can't say we're not disappointed but the Koreans
are a very good team and they came at us the whole game long.
It's not the end of the world to start a tournament with a
draw, and we showed great spirit to climb back into the game and
earn a draw against a strong opponent. Now we just need to get back
out at training and get ready for our next game against Sweden,
which is going to be another really tough one.
Abby Wambach, USA striker
I could hear the crowd going crazy when I was in the locker
room getting my stitches. I only wish the doctor could have gotten
them in faster. At the end of the day though the result is not
terrible, the Koreans are one of the top teams in the world and we
came back from a goal down and that's a good thing. We had a
tough time holding on to the ball and the wet surface played a
part. We'll be ready for the Swedes in our next game.
Ri Kum-Suk, Korea DPR striker
I feel we played very well tonight. We were so
motivated by all the fans that were supporting us throughout the
game and we took great strength from it. Hopefully we can continue
to make them happy as the tournament goes forward.
