It was a special performance of the Taegeuk women who led the thrilling reversal victory. The main characters are Cho So-hyun (35, Tottenham) and Lee Geum-min (29, Brighton), the core of the Korean women’s national soccer team.
Cho So-hyun and Lee Geum-min had a perfect day. On the 7th at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, he started and scored multiple goals in an evaluation match against Zambia, the “African Dark Horse”, and led the team to a 5-2 reversal victory. As an ace, he played a strong role when it was important. Cho So-hyun scored the opening goal in the 24th minute of the first half. Lee Geum-min completely overturned the score. In a situation where they were losing 1-2, they scored an equalizer in the 13th minute of the second half, and even scored a come-from-behind goal in the 17th minute of the second half. In the 39th minute of the second half, Cho So-hyun scored an additional goal, breaking the opponent’s will to pursue.
After the match, Colin Bell (62), national team coach, praised the team, saying, “Cho So-hyun and Lee Geum-min upgraded the game to the next level.”
This day was also a special day for Cho So-hyun and Lee Geum-min. First, Jo So-hyun had an emotional comeback after 9 months. In July of last year, he suffered an injury after playing in the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship and was seldom on the national team list. However, Jo So-hyun, whose condition improved, was fierce. He not only scored multiple goals, but also hit the post twice with cannonball-like shots. He could have scored a hat trick if he had followed his luck.
Here, in the 30th minute of the second half, he showed off a super tackle and blocked the opponent’s decisive chance. Even though he could have shrunk because it was a friendly match and a comeback from injury in the chilly weather, he played with a fighting spirit without any of that. It was the dignity of a veteran.
As a result, Cho So-hyun has participated in 143 A-matches in her career. She was one step behind Ji So-yeon (32, Suwon FC), who had the most appearances in Korean women’s soccer, with 144 games. She looks set to break her record for most appearances in a rematch against Zambia on the 11th. 토토사이트
Cho So-hyun said, “It’s been a while since I played a game, and I’m glad I did something, such as scoring. I heard the support from the fans. It was very difficult, but it helped a lot. Coach Bell also said, ‘Fans came to watch the game, but you shouldn’t play like this’, So-Hyun Cho said. He said, ‘Let’s turn around because the second half remains’, so the players also made up their minds.”
“I’m sorry” for missing the hat-trick, but smiled, saying, “Other players also scored goals. In particular, Park Eun-seon (37, Seoul City Hall) sister scored for the first time in a while, so it was even better.”
The final focus is on the Australia-New Zealand Women’s World Cup to be held in July. Cho So-hyun, who has heavy shoulders as a veteran and ace, was satisfied, saying, “As the World Cup approaches, the players have a different mindset. The competition has become stronger. All the players try to help and talk a lot. It seems that the team has become stronger.”