Last year, Korean football had a hot winter with the Qatar World Cup. The process of the players who overcame big and small injuries and advanced to the round of 16 for the second time in history was enough to receive applause from many people.
As the year has changed, the women’s soccer team is preparing to continue the impression of the World Cup in Qatar. Even in the cold winter, she is sweating to advance to the round of 16 for the second time in history at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which opens in Australia and New Zealand in July.
The World Cup challenge for Korean women’s soccer was a series of difficulties. From the 2nd tournament held in Sweden in 1995, Korea has been challenging to get the right to advance to the finals. However, Korea’s position in Asia, where world-class women’s soccer players such as China, Japan, and North Korea are lined up, was narrow. Then in 2003, in the 4th competition held in the United States, it finally bore the fruit of advancing to the finals for the first time. Although they were in a group with strong teams such as France, Brazil and Norway and finished the tournament with 3 losses, Kim Jin-hee scored a goal against Norway and scored the first ever World Cup finals, promising the next tournament.
After failing to advance to the World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011, Korea stepped on the World Cup stage once again in 2015. At the time when the ‘golden generation’ such as Ji So-yeon, Jeon Ga-eul, and Cho So-hyun all mobilized, Korea achieved the feat of reaching the round of 16 for the first time in history. In the 2019 Canadian tournament, he succeeded in advancing to the World Cup for the second consecutive time, but he bowed his head as he finished the tournament with 3 losses again.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup is a tournament that will be a major inflection point for Korean women’s football. This is because it is likely to be the final stage for the golden generation, who have led Korean women’s soccer for a long time, such as Ji So-yeon, Cho So-hyun, Kim Hye-ri, Lee Min-ah, and Lee Young-joo. It is also a stage where the new golden generation such as Garam Chun and Suin Lee can debut. Expectations are high for a tournament where the fighting spirit of veterans and 바카라사이트 the fighting spirit of morning stars will shine together. Korea, which is tied in Group H with Colombia, Morocco and Germany, is aiming for the best ever record beyond the round of 16.
Preparations started early. The national team, led by coach Colin Bell, will begin field training in Ulsan on the 30th, and will participate in the Arnold Clark Cup, a four-nation friendly competition scheduled from February 16th. The Arnold Clark Cup, an international women’s soccer friendly tournament hosted by the England Football Association, was held once in February last year with England, Spain, Germany and Canada participating. come face to face
After that, they will convene in April and June for training and evaluation matches. The plan is to welcome the World Cup after a final inspection through a convocation in June.
The player who is attracting the most attention in this World Cup is definitely ‘Ace’ Ji So-yeon. Ji So-yeon, who was unable to schedule for November and December due to her ankle injury, is directly contacted by Bell to check her physical condition. Thinking of her World Cup as her ‘last dance’ stage for her national team, Ji So-yeon has been diligently working on her rehabilitation over the winter. She will be named to the 30th call-up, but it has not been decided if she will play in the Arnold Clark Cup.