Who will Colin Bell pick in his final squad? GOAL takes a look…
The South Korean national women's team is set to play in their fourth FIFA Women's World Cup finals in July, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Their best finish was in the 2015 edition when they reached the round of 16 but were beaten 3-0 by France.
They qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup by virtue of making it to the last four of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup. In fact, they surpassed the qualification standard and made it to the final of the continental competition but lost 3-2 to China to finish as runners-up.
In 2023, they have not been able to hit the top gear as they have won only two out of five matches. They lost all three matches against England, Belgium and Italy respectively in the Clark Cup before returning to winning ways against Zambia at home in April
They have been drawn in Group H in the Women's World Cup along with South Korea, Colombia, Morocco and Germany.
Who can Ian Bell pick in the World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look…
Kim Jung-mi is the number one choice between the sticks for South Korea. She was the preferred shot-stopper during the Clark Cup friendlies in Europe and also had the gloves during one of the friendlies against Zambia.
She has more than 130 caps to her name and there is little doubt that Bell trusts her skills under the bar. Barring any injury concerns she should have the gloves in Australia.
Yoon Young-geul, the 35-year-old keeper of Swedish side BK Hacken is another experienced candidate and is a solid backup keeper. While the third spot can go to Suwon UDC's young keeper Kim Kyeong-hee.
Name
Club
Yoon Young-geul
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Kim Jung-mi
BK Hacken
Kim Kyeong-hee
Suwon UDC
Ryu Ji-soo
Seoul WFC
Advertisement
Getty Images
DEFENDERS
Bell sets his defence up according to the strengths of the opposition. While he mostly likes to field a three-woman backline, sometimes he can shift to a more traditional four players in defence.
The three central defenders are most likely to be Kim Hye-ri, Lim Seon-joo, and Hong Hye-ji. The first two are counted among the most experienced candidates in the squad and boast of having more than 100 caps. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Hong is following in the footsteps of his senior colleagues and has established herself as an integral part of Korea's defence.
If one of the three is unavailable or injured, then Shim Seo-yeon or Kim Yun-Ji is called upon to fill in the vacancy.
Whereas, if Bell shifts to a back four, which is rare, then among the three centre-backs two are chosen, while Choo Hyo-Joo and Jang Sel-gi are the two full-backs. And in the other case, Choo & Jang are deployed as the right and left wing-backs.
Name
Club
Choo Hyo-joo
Suwon UDC
Hong Hye-ji
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Shim Seo-yeon
Suwon UDC
Kim Hye-yeong
Gyeongju KHNP WFC
Kim Yun-ji
Suwon UDC
Lim Seon-joo
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Jang Sel-gi
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Kim Hye-ri
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Kim Jin-hui
Gyeongju KHNP WFC
Lee Soo-in
Korea University-Sejong
Jeong Yu-jin
Changnyeong WFC
Lee Young-ju
Madrid CFF
Getty Images
MIDFIELDERS
Bell usually has three midfielders at the centre of the park to complement his two advanced wing-backs. While two of them are likely to position themselves right before the central defenders to plug in the gaps, one of them will have the license to join the attack.
The manager has plenty of quality at his disposal and he usually likes to shuffle the pack. Cho So-Hyun and Ji So-yun are the two most experienced players with close to 150 caps each and they are the two preferred options at the centre of the park.
They are mostly joined by Son Hwa-yeon of Incheon Hyundai SRA in an advanced role. Whereas, Jang Yu-bin of Seoul WFC is an upcoming talent whom Bell likes to introduce in the latter stages of the game and she will be the one to look out for in Australia.
Name
Club
Bae Ye-bin
Uiduk University
Chun Ga-ram
Hwacheon KSPO
Park Ye-eun
Brighton & Hove Albion
Park Hye-jeong
Sejong Sportstoto
Ji So-yun
Suwon UDC
Cho So-hyun
Tottenham Hotspur
Jang Chang
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Lee Min-a
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Park Ye-na
Mungyeong Sangmu
Kim Seong-mi
Incheon Hyundai SRA
Getty Images
FORWARDS
Bell is spoilt for choices when it comes to selecting his forwards. Jung Seol-bin might be given the responsibility to lead the lines. The 33-year-old plies her trade with Incheon Hyundai SRA and has 22 international goals in her career.
Meanwhile, Brighton's Lee Geum-min acts as the perfect foil for Jung. The Brighton forward scored five goals in two matches against Zambia in April and will hope to bring her best form in the tournament.
Park Eun-sun is another option and she has the experience to make a difference at the highest stages. On a few occasions, Bell has used Park & Jung as two strikers upfront with Lee operating from a bit deeper position.
