Ri keen to shine again

Korea DPR captain Ri Kum Suk is surely the most experienced player in Asia, having led her country at more than 10 major international tournaments since her international debut in 1999. Ri participated in the three previous editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as two gold medal-winning campaigns at the Asian Games. The Golden Lady, as her given name would have it, has won a deserved reputation as a first-class striker. Ri's winning goal in the 2-0 victory over Japan in the final of the Asian Championship in 2001 kick-started her illustrious career, and two years later she became the tournament's top scorer with 15 goals, as Korea DPR successfully defended the continental crown. The North Koreans made up for their disappointing third-place finish in 2006 by taking their third Asian title last month. And apart from the fact that they had to fight back from one goal behind against China PR in the final, it was business as usual for Ri, who scored seven goals, including the equaliser in that game. The 2007 AFC Women's Player of the Year opened her account against Thailand before adding a brace against Vietnam in the group stage. Ri's brilliance, however, was best displayed in the 3-0 semi-final defeat of Australia, in which she scored a hat-trick in 60 minutes. source