| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | North Korea |
| Dates | 27 July – 28 August |
| Teams | 14 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | April 25(3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Kigwancha |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 50 |
| Goals scored | 160 (3.2 per match) |
The2015 Hwaebul Cup was the third edition of theHwaebul Cup (홰불,Torch) celebratingNorth Korea's Youth Day. The competition was held from 27 July to 28 August 2013, with all matches played at theRungrado 1st of May Stadium inP'yŏngyang. The competition was arranged in two phases, a group stage followed by asingle-elimination play-off semi-finals, and a single-game final.[1]
The fourteen teams that took part in the tournament were divided into two groups. Group A includedAmrokkang,April 25,Kyŏnggong'ŏp,Myohyangsan,Sŏnbong and two other clubs, whilst Group B includedHwaebul,Kigwancha,Ponghwasan,Wŏlmido and three other clubs.[1]
Table based on known results. The first- and second-placed teams advanced to the semi-finals. Kyŏnggong'ŏp and April 25 advanced to the semi-finals.[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyŏnggong'ŏp | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | Advance to semi-finals |
| 2 | April 25 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| 3 | Amrokkang | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Sŏnbong | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Myohyangsan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table based on known results. The first- and second-placed teams advanced to the semi-finals. Wŏlmido and Kigwancha advanced to the semi-finals.[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wŏlmido | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Advance to semi-finals |
| 2 | Kigwancha | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |
| 3 | Hwaebul | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Sobaeksu | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | |
| 5 | Ponghwasan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 | |
| 6 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 August 2015 | Sobaeksu | 2–0 | Ponghwasan | Rungrado 1st of May Stadium,P'yŏngyang |
| Highlights |
Kyŏnggong'ŏp and April 25 qualified for the semi-finals from Group A, and Wŏlmido and Kigwancha from Group B; the first-place finisher of each group played the second-place team from the other group. Kigwancha held out for a 3–2 win over Kyŏnggong'ŏp to advance to the final, whilst April 25 earned a solid 2–0 victory over Wŏlmido to earn their spot in the final.[2]
| 25 August 2015 | Kigwancha | 3–2 | Kyŏnggong'ŏp | Rungrado 1st of May Stadium,P'yŏngyang |
| Report |
| 25 August 2015 | April 25 | 2–0 | Wŏlmido | Rungrado 1st of May Stadium,P'yŏngyang |
| Report |
Kyŏnggong'ŏp defeated Wŏlmido to secure third place,[2] but the match score is unknown.
Kigwancha and April 25 advanced to the final, which was played at theRungrado 1st of May Stadium on 28 August. Kigwancha fought hard early on to try to gain the initiative and took an early 1–0 lead, but April 25 soon asserted their dominance, and overwhelmed Kigwancha to win their third straight Hwaebul Cup title with a 5–1 score.[2]
| 28 August 2015 | April 25 | 5–1 | Kigwancha | Rungrado 1st of May Stadium,P'yŏngyang |
| Highlights |
![]() ![]() ![]() April 25 | ![]() Kigwancha |
| 2015 Hwaebul Cup April 25 3rd title |