Sydney, March 3 -- Myong Yu Jong scored a first-half hat-trick as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) returned to the AFC Women's Asian Cup with a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan in Sydney on Tuesday.
Rated as a title contender, DPRK dominated its first match in the tournament since finishing runner-up at the 2010 edition in China. Myong scored twice from the penalty spot as Uzbekistan made a difficult return after a 23-year absence.
DPRK made a flying start when Myong fired a volley from the center of the box into the top left corner in the sixth minute.
The first half witnessed Uzbekistan's goalkeeper Maftuna Jonimqulova being carried off on a stretcher with a neck brace. Zarina Saidova, who replaced Jonimqulova, was tested almost...