N. Korean football club coach bristles at 'rough' label ahead of top Asian tournament final - The Korea Times

Naegohyang Women's FC head coach Ri Yu-il, left, and forward Kim Kyong-yong attend a press conference at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Yonhap

The head coach of the North Korean women's football club competing at the top Asian tournament south of the border on Friday took exception to the narrative that his athletes play a rough style.

Ri Yu-il and his Naegohyang Women's FC will play Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at 2 p.m. Saturday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The two teams will vie for $1 million in prize money at the continent's top women's club football competition.

Naegohyang rallied past South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 in Wednesday's semifinals, while Tokyo Verdy Beleza beat Melbourne City FC 3-1 earlier in the day.

At his prematch presser Friday, Ri said Naegohyang will try to accomplish an objective that transcends the trophy.