Women’s World Cup Preview: South Korea

South Korea will go into the FIFA Women’s World Cup full of confidence, buoyed by their run to the final of last year’s Women’s Asian Cup and the growing belief instilled within the team by coach Colin Bell.

The Koreans secured their spot in the draw for the finals with a runners-up slot in India last February, the first time the country had ever reached the decider in 13 involvements in the continental championship.

Bell’s team were less than 30 minutes away from claiming the title, holding a two-goal lead at halftime before the Chinese battled back in the second half, with Xiao Yuyi scoring a heart-breaking winner for the Steel Roses three minutes into injury time.

The Koreans, though, have plenty of reasons to be optimistic having drawn with former Women’s World Cup champions Japan in the group phase before defeating Australia and the Philippines on their way to the final.

“We are aiming to go as far as we possibly can in the tournament,” Bell recently said of his team’s Women’s World Cup hopes.

“It’s really important for our players to realise that, when we follow our principles of play, we’re quite capable of beating, as far as I am concerned, every nation.

“I don’t want South Korea to be making themselves smaller than they are. We have a good team when we are on form and when everybody is healthy. I am confident if we follow our principles we can have a really good tournament.”

The Koreans are appearing at their fourth Women’s World Cup and their third in a row, having made their debut at the competition in the United States in 2003.

That initial appearance ended in a group stage exit and it was another 12 years before the nation qualified again, this time advancing to the Round of 16 in Canada in 2015. Their involvement in the 2019 tournament in France was concluded in the opening phase.

The country has only ever managed one win in their three previous Women’s World Cup appearances, a 1-0 victory over Spain in the group stages in 2015, with eight defeats and a single draw.

Bell is determined to improve that record, with the Englishman targeting a run into the knockout rounds as he looks to harness the experience and talent of former Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun and Lee Guem-min, currently with Brighton & Hove Albion .

“The main objective is to be proactive all the time. It’s about finding ways to win matches and trying to be on top of things,” Bell has said. “We want to be fast and aggressive, well-organised, and clinical.

“It’s important we’re working on our own DNA and try to be as flexible as possible so that we’re not easy to calculate for the opponents. We want to make life difficult for all three of them.”

South Korea open their campaign against Colombia on July 25 before taking on Morocco five days later and rounding out their group commitments against former winners Germany on August 3 in Brisbane.

The Koreans go into the tournament with a limited international pedigree, having never qualified for the Olympic football event since it was inaugurated in 1996.

Bell’s team finished third in the most recent edition of the EAFF E-1 Championship in Japan last July, ending the competition three points behind winners Japan and one adrift of runners-up China.

Preparations for the Women’s World Cup have been mixed, with losses against European champions England as well as Belgium and Italy at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February.

Those defeats, however, were followed by back-to-back victories over Zambia and a confidence-enhancing win over Haiti ahead of their departure of the finals, with Bell and his team dreaming of success.

THE COACH – COLIN BELL

Appointed in October 2019, former Ireland coach Colin Bell has played a key role in lifting the level of the South Korean side as the country has sought to close the gap on their regional rivals and make a mark on the global stage.

The 61-year-old, who spent much of his playing career in Germany, took the Taegeuk Ladies to the final of the Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in their history in February 2022, a landmark achievement for the team.

A former defender, Bell has sought to integrate himself as best as possible into South Korean football and he has learned to speak Korean, often answering questions in the language during official press conferences.

“I am very proud of being the head coach of the women’s national team here in South Korea,” Bell said recently. “I am working and living in a great country that has made me personally very happy. I am also working with great players and great staff.

“All these components coming together, that’s my motivation. I don’t really need any other kind of motivation. I always want to win, anyway. Intrinsic motivation is very strong with me.

“My main objective is to help the girls reach the levels they can potentially reach and fulfil their goals. I want my players to feel happy in a good working environment so they can really blossom and fulfil their potential.”

Bell is known for insisting his players are at peak fitness through his rigorous training methods and his impact has been such that he has seen his contract with the Koreans extended until 2024.

His original deal had been due to expire at the end of the Women’s World Cup, but his new terms mean he will oversee the country’s involvement in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September and October as well as the continent’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Bell will also take an expanded role that will see him advising the coaching staff associated with the country’s age group teams as his influence continues to grow within Korean football.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ji So-yun

Talented midfield schemer Ji So-yun returned to play club football in South Korea in May 2022, signing for Suwon FC having enjoyed an eight-year spell with Chelsea in the FA Women’s Super League, where she amassed a significant haul of silverware.

Having started her professional career in Japan with INAC Kobe Leonessa, where she was a key part of a side that dominated the Nadeshiko League Division 1, Ji made the switch to England in 2014 after establishing herself as the key creative talent for South Korea.

Six FA Women’s Super League titles were to follow as well as four Women’s FA Cup crowns while Ji was also named the FA Women’s Player of the Year in his first season in England, adding that accolade to her seven Korean FA Women’s Player of the Year awards.

Lee Geum-min

Lee Geum-min will be making her third appearance for South Korea at the Women’s World Cup finals, having previously represented her nation at the tournament in Canada in 2015 and in France four years later.

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder currently plays her club football with Brighton & Hove Albion in England after an initial spell with Manchester City following her move from South Korean side Gyeongju KHNP in 2019.

Under Colin Bell, Lee has established herself as a fixture in the starting line-up and she featured in all five games as the Koreans advanced to the finals of the Women’s Asian Cup last year.

Cho So-hyun

Cho So-hyun goes into the Women’s World Cup sharing South Korea’s appearances record with Ji So-yun, with the 35-year-old goal-scoring midfielder rated as one of the country’s finest-ever players.

A four-time WK League winner with Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels, Cho has spent the last four seasons in England, initially with West Ham United – where she reached the Women’s FA Cup final in her first season in 2019 – before switching to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021.

Cho was named the Korean FA Women’s Player of the Year in 2015 after captaining the team that reached the Round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup in Canada. She will be making her third appearance at the Women’s World Cup having also led the team in 2019.

Photo: Korea Football Association

Listen to The Asian Game Podcast as we preview South Korea’s chances and speak with assistant coach Matt Ross