“I thought we had the better chances overall in the game,” Ryan told U.S. Soccer. “Getting a draw is very important at this stage of game. It keeps us alive heading into the next game with Sweden. We knew this group was going to be tough. It’s time to move on to the next match.”

After going down 2-1 in the second half, Heather O’Reilly saved the U.S. blushes with her strike in the 69th minute and earned high praise from her coach.

“(O’Reilly’s first Women’s World Cup goal) was critical. I had a great feeling about Heather. I’m so proud of her. I thought she had a fantastic game overall tonight, and she got the goal on top of it.”

The day was not as easy for goalkeeper Hope Solo who saw steady pressure and allowed the first North Korea goal to slip through her hands but Ryan was quick to point key saves down the stretch and that it is a team effort.

“Yes, absolutely. I went out and talked to her right after the game. I spoke to her and told her, ‘Hey, Hope. No problem. Don’t worry about it.’ She saves us a lot. You saw her save us there at the end of the game with that great save. It was our turn to save her and that’s the kind of team we are.”

And his thoughts on the next match against Sweden, “We have to play great. It’s going to be two great teams. We knew when this draw came out and they placed North Korea into Group B, we knew it was going to be a very, very tough first round. We said it all along and now here it is: it’s tough.”

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