The Taegeuk Ladies head Down Under : FS Women's World Cup Guide
Written by Michael Welch.
Summer is in full swing and finally that does mean that it’s time for the World Cup again! Last summer we were made to wait for the first men’s World Cup held in the winter. However, this summer we are in for a treat as Australia and New Zealand will host the largest FIFA Women’s World Cup (32 Nations) ever!
For the third successive tournament, the Korea Republic women’s national team has qualified for the World Cup. After a very frustrating performance four years ago in France, the Taegeuk Ladies are preparing to put their best foot forward when they kick off their tournament next week in Sydney against Colombia.
Here at Fighting Stripes Football, we’re here to get you ready for World Cup action with the lowdown on our Taegeuk Ladies squad!
The Manager
Colin Bell, to put it clearly, has been a gamechanger for the Korean women’s national team. Hired in the fall of 2019, after a 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup where manager Yoon Deok-yeo led the team to three straight losses, Bell represents the first foreign manager of the women’s national team. He immediately came in and brought his vast experience to set about changing the culture of the team.
His catchphrase in the buildup to the tournament has been 고강도, which translates to “high intensity.” When you watch this squad play under him, you can tell why he likes the phrase. He asks his players to press higher, try to force mistakes, and go harder into tackles. When in possession of the ball, he’s trying to instill quicker passing moves and improve the technical aspect of the Taegeuk Ladies in ball possession.
It has led to a marked improvement of fortunes for the team, with the Taegeuk Ladies nearly qualifying for their first Olympics in 2021 as they took China to extra time in their playoff tie. In early 2022, the Taegeuk Ladies qualified for the World Cup with their best ever performance at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, finishing runners-up to China again.
Colin Bell has really taken to Korea, learning Korean in his spare time, and he takes the job very seriously. He is now able to take press conferences in Korean, giving local reporters his best answers in their native language. The squad is fully behind him and so is the KFA, as they have extended his contract past the World Cup so that he can try to lead the team into their first Olympics. They’ll begin their Olympics qualifying journey in the fall after this tournament.
The Squad
This squad represents the strongest 23 players that Colin Bell could take to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. There were injury concerns, as stalwart defensive midfielder Lee Youngju needed to recover from knee surgery, but Bell will have all the players he wants in the squad.
In goal, it’s hard to say if Bell will stick with veteran Kim Jungmi or switch to Yoon Younggeul. Yoon has been given many opportunities to feature under Bell and performed well, with Bell even helping her get a contract with Swedish club BK HÄCKEN. However, both keepers are quite good shotstoppers, though I also prefer Yoon as the starter.
Defense can be shaky for the Taegeuk Ladies. Organization and composure sometimes leave the squad when protecting a late lead or trying to remain tied. This squad tends to suffer late losses and draws at too frequent a rate for Colin Bell’s liking. Bell’s left fullback or wingback is always Jang Selgi, who is quite frankly one of the best offensive players on this squad. Jang is confident going forward, helps out on defense, and is unafraid to shoot and score from distance. The best two centerbacks are Lim Seonjoo and Hong Hyeji, though it would not be surprising for Lee Youngju to play centerback if she is fit enough. Even if she is only fit enough to come into matches late on to defend, she is a tough defender that can always help the cause. The undisputed best right fullback is Choo Hyojoo in my mind. Apologies to the captain Kim Hyeri, but Choo is better lately. It will be interesting to see if Bell switches to a back three with captain Hyeri in the lineup so that Choo can be tasked with bombing forward on the right flank.
Midfield is the strongest part of this squad. Cho Sohyun will be the engine room of the midfield, disrupting play from deep and then charging forward if she gets the ball. Ji Soyun needs absolutely no introduction. The leading goalscorer for Korea Republic from both genders, Ji is the best ever to do it for this team. She will be a CM/CAM tasked with creating opportunities for her teammates, though she will also find opportunities to score as well. Rounding out the midfield will likely be Brighton’s Lee Geummin, who is a CAM/second striker with a lot of speed and finishing skill. If this midfield gets control of a match, the Taegeuk Ladies will be in a good position to win.
Unfortunately, the forward line is where things get a bit more uncertain. The problem with having your best players needing to win the midfield battle and create opportunities is that you may have no one to actually score the goals. Bell at least has a variety of options here. Park Eunsun is the veteran striker who will use her size to bully defenders. However, I have doubts that she’ll have the stamina to be a starter. Moon Mira has never impressed me all that much. Choe Yuri is an incredible presser, but with all that energy she also makes suspect tackling decisions. She may get some bad yellow cards. Also, she’s not that strong a finisher. Son Hwayeon, the women’s national team’s Sonny, is a decent fox in the box but hasn’t impressed me with the rest of her game. Kang Chaerim, whether as a left/right winger or second striker, has been the most impressive of this forward corps. She’s shifty with the ball at her feet, she can get by defenders with speed, and she’s a solid crosser of the ball. She’s also smart with her finishing. If I backed a forward to be a starter, Kang is one of my picks.
Now, let’s talk about the X Factor. Casey Yujin Phair was a shock selection to this World Cup, earning a senior call-up to the national team at the age of 15. Now 16, she will be the youngest player in the history of the Women’s World Cup if she features in the group stage for the Taegeuk Ladies. She is tall, at 178 cm the second tallest member of the squad, and Bell mentions her speed and physicality as reason for her inclusion. She caught his eye by scoring 5 goals in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifying group.
Hailing from New Jersey, Casey will be the first mixed-race player of either gender to represent Korea Republic at a World Cup if she plays. She’s highly regarded in the youth scene in New Jersey, earning best freshman player last year for her play at Pingry. In addition, she plays club football with Players Development Academy, a program known to produce pro players.
I’m not saying Casey is going to start, but it’s not a stretch to say she is just as talented as the other forwards in this squad. Could she start in a front two with the shifty Kang Chaerim? Could she partner with Choe Yuri doing all the dirty work while she scores the goals? Would she make a great joker off the bench? I think the answer to all these questions is yes. I will say as a half-Korean like Casey, I am very biased in wanting her to play. That all being said, she could feature sparingly and this forward crew could also get the job done without her.
Group H
Colombia
How they qualified : Runners-up, 2022 Copa América Femenina
Matchday : Tuesday July 25, 12 PM, Sydney Football Stadium (11 AM KST, 10 PM EST July 24)
Broadcast Info : FS1 (US), RDS/TSN (Canada), MBC/KBS2/SBS (Korea)
Based on rankings alone, Korea and Colombia are fighting it out for second place. It’s a good thing we play Colombia first, with all the pressure on both teams to get points on the board. The bad news? Korea, both the men and women, tend to struggle with South American sides at the World Cup. Even worse? Colombia had a friendly match recently abandoned because their play was “too physical.” It could be quite a match if Colombia goes physical again.
The star player for Colombia is Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, who is just 18. Linda was named the best player at the 2022 Copa América Femenina.
Morocco
How they qualified : Runners-up, 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations
Matchday : Sunday July 30, 2 PM, Hindmarsh Stadium (1:30 PM KST, 12:30 AM EST)
Broadcast Info : FOX (US), TSN (Canada), MBC/SBS/KBS2 (Korea)
Coming as Korea’s second match, this is likely a must-win for the Taegeuk Ladies. Morocco are making their debut at the Women’s World Cup, so Colin Bell will likely instruct his players to put Morocco under as much pressure as possible.
Germany
How they qualified : UEFA qualifying Group H Winners
Matchday : Thursday August 3, 8 PM, Lang Park (7 PM KST, 5 AM EST)
Broadcast Info : FOX (US), TSN/RDS (Canada), MBC/SBS/KBS2 (Korea)
This projects to be Korea’s hardest match, so it is good that it comes on the final group matchday. We hope that the Taegeuk Ladies have taken care of business and ensured their spot in the Round of 16 before facing Germany. Germany’s squad is full of star players, with Alexandra Popp, Lea Schüller, and Lena Oberdorff as some of the biggest names.
The Expectation
The Taegeuk Ladies want to have a better performance than at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Four years ago they suffered three defeats, going home in disappointing fashion. They have improved as a squad since then and Colin Bell has proved himself as a very capable manager with this team. The expectation that the Ladies have been talking about is matching the men and qualifying for the Round of 16. It’s doable, especially with the group schedule mimicking the men’s. In Qatar, Korea played the likeliest team to finish second first, then a team theoretically weaker than them (though we lost to Ghana), and then the strongest team in the group with 1st place virtually guaranteed. If a similar situation comes true in Australia for Group H, the Taegeuk Ladies should be able to finish second. From there? Anything can happen!
Are you excited for the Women’s World Cup? Let us know your thoughts on this Taegeuk Ladies squad in the comments!