The Republic of Korea Women’s Football Team, led by head coach Colleen Bell, will be aiming for their first ever quarter-final appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand for the first time ever at 4pm on 20 June. Thirty-two nations have qualified for the tournament. South Korea, ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, will open their Group H campaign against Colombia (25) at 11am on the 25th.메이저사이트
Four years of preparation are coming to fruition. Bell took over the reins of the Women’s National Team after the 2019 World Cup, and under the slogan ‘High Intensity’, she pushed the team to perform at their best in every training session. They’ve held a number of domestic trials and sparred with other nations across Europe, South America and Africa, including the 2023 Arnold Clarke Cup in England.
The time is right for peak performance. Belhoda is an organised team with a strong physicality and a relentless determination. The main players are also in their prime. Women’s football icon Ji So-yeon (32, Suwon FC) and key players such as Lee Kum-min (29, Brighton & Hove Albion) and Cho So-hyun (35, Tottenham Hotspur Women) led the team with outstanding performances and leadership during the recent trials. It is also the last World Cup for veterans such as Ji So-yeon, Cho So-hyun and Shim Seo-yeon (Suwon FC).
They also have some threatening weapons. The 6-foot-3 striker Park Eun-sun (36) adds height to the belly of the beast. Park dominated the Africans in both of their exhibition games against Zambia in terms of physicality and delivery. For Park, the Women’s World Cup in Australia-New Zealand is a ‘last dance’.
Belhoda has been organised to the last minute. The women’s team trained at the National Football Training Centre (NFC) in Paju since the 17th of last month, before playing their final exhibition match against Haiti on the 8th. The team departed the country via Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 10th after a 2-1 upset victory over Haiti in the final exhibition match. With expectations high for a best result beyond the round of 16 in Canada 2015, Bell said: “I know the World Cup will be difficult, but I’m looking forward to it. Right now, I’m just thinking about the first game. The first goal is to win the first game.”
South Korea, ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, have been drawn in Group H alongside Germany (2nd), Colombia (25th) and Morocco (72nd). They will open their campaign against Colombia on the 25th. They will face Morocco on the 30th at 1.30pm and Germany on the 3rd of next month at 7pm.