Suwon: One side established control early but the other side pushed back before landing the knockout blow. And there was plenty of action in between, as Naegohyang Women's FC of North Korea edged out Suwon FC Women of South Korea 2-1 in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League on this rainy Wednesday night at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, by winning this unprecedented match -- it was the first meeting on South Korean soil between women's football clubs of the two Koreas -- Naegohyang advanced to Saturday's final against Tokyo Verdy Beleza, also at Suwon, with US$1 million on the line. The narrow victory by Naegohyang was a rare sporting event that somehow lived up to hype.

Women's football ranks low in the South Korean sporting totem pole, but when the city of Suwon was named the host of the Women's Champions League semifinals and the final and the inter-Korean showdown materialized, it sparked huge interest well outside the usual football fandom. South Korean civic groups sent hundreds of members to cheer for the North Korean club with team-themed flags and banners, and the match had the level of buzz not generally seen in a women's football match here. Suwon FC Women head coach Park Kil-young even said he had never seen such a big crowd before.

And those who braved heavy downpours were treated to a dandy. Suwon FC Women were the superior side in the opening 45 minutes, as they enjoyed a 10-1 advantage in shot attempts and hit the goal post twice. They played with so much pace and precision, and Naegoyang barely mounted a counterpunch.

Haruhi Suzuki gave Suwon Women's FC the 1-0 lead with a deft volley from close range, after Naegohyang failed to clear the ball out of harm's way in the 49th minute. But then Choe Kum-ok equalized for Naegohyang six minutes later with a header, and it seemed to give Naegohyang new energy. Their captain Kim Kyong-yong put Naegohyang ahead in the 67th minute, capitalizing on some sloppy defending by Suwon FC Women, whose valiant effort to send the match to extra time wasn't quite enough.

Suwon FC Women's one glorious chance came with a penalty awarded after a video review in the 75th minute but their own captain, Ji So-yun, misfired her spot kick wide left -- the final bit of drama that had the happy ending for the visiting North Korean team. Few nations have enjoyed as much international success in women's football as North Korea in recent years. They won consecutive FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, and also captured the U-20 Women's World Cup crown in 2024. They also won the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup and the 2024 and 2026 U-17 Women's Asian Cup.

Naegohyang feature a few members of those title-winning teams. Ji, who has played nine matches against North Korean national teams in her career, said she felt her side put up a good fight against a formidable foe. "I think this was the first time in my career that we dominated a North Korean team," Ji said. "I feel terrible that I missed the penalty. We had so many people in the stands despite the bad weather and it would have been better if we'd delivered a better outcome."

Ji said she felt confident before taking the penalty but she might have tried too hard to fool the goalkeeper Pak Ju-gyong. "There's no excuse for it," Ji added. "I am just sorry to all of our fans and my teammates. They all did their best and my penalty would have sent the match to extra time. I am really sorry."

Choe, who scored the equalizer, said the unwavering belief within the team made the difference for Naegohyang. "We believed in our abilities. If we stick together as one, then we shouldn't have any problem in the final," she said. "We didn't execute our game plans in the first half but we bounced back in the second half and things went our way."