Colin Bell expects big things from the Taeguk Ladies this year

Football

Published: 01 Feb. 2023, 08:44

Colin Bell expects big things from the Taeguk Ladies this year

Colin Bell, center, leads the Korean women's football team through a training session at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Monday. [YONHAP]

Korean women’s national football team manager Colin Bell says he's looking for a strong start at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup this summer, with Korea focused on winning their very first match of the tournament against Columbia.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference last week to mark the start of a big year for the Taeguk Ladies and again on Monday as the team started training, Bell, who has led the team since 2019, said he is keen to repeat the Taeguk Warriors' success in reaching the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup last year.

Before then, Bell and the squad have been invited to compete in the Arnold Clark Cup in England in later this month.

“I am looking forward to the Arnold Clark Cup and the World Cup. I hope our players will be in good shape. I am confident that we will play well,” Bell said in Korean at the press conference.

Colin Bell talks to reporters at a press conference held at KFA House in Jongno District, central Seoul on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]

Bell’s side will head to England in February to take part in the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup, an invitational women’s association football tournament hosted by the Football Association.

Korea joins European champions England, Belgium and Italy at the four-team tournament that will serve as a warm-up for the 2023 Australia-New Zealand World Cup and will face them in that order.

“I am personally excited that we got a chance to play England, who I think are the best in the world,” Bell said.

Based on current FIFA rankings, England is the team to beat at No. 4 in the world, followed by Korea ranks at No. 15, Italy at No. 17 and Belgium at No. 20.

The 2023 tournament marks the second edition of the Arnold Clark Cup, named after sponsor car retailer Arnold Clark. The debut tournament this year featured England, Spain, Canada and Germany, with England beating out Spain to the title on goal difference.

The experience the Taeguk Ladies gain at the Arnold Clark Cup will be particularly valuable when playing against their competitors in Group H of the World Cup.

Bell’s team’s first World Cup match is against No. 27 Columbia on July 25, followed by fixtures against No. 76 Morocco on July 30, and No. 2 Germany on Aug. 3.

“I’ve already started gathering information about our opponents,” Bell said.

"I am always trying to convince the players that we can do more and reach a level that they've never been at before to have a successful World Cup," Bell said on Monday at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan.

"That takes a lot of determination and a lot of sacrifice. We can't just turn up and play. That's not going to work. We have to be doing more and to be prepared to run more and work harder than all the nations."

Korea will have to record at least a draw against the Columbians since the first game of the tournament is crucial for advancing to the round of 16.

A loss in the first match will put extra pressure upon Bell’s team when they face Germany, by far the highest-ranked team in the group.

“Our first goal is to win the first game of the group stage,” Bell said. “We will grab a victory against Columbia and advance to the next stage.”

Reaching the round of 16 is priority No. 1 for the Taguek Ladies this time, since they failed to get through last World Cup group stage, finishing at the bottom of Group A in 2019.

Failing to advance to the knockout stage may also result in the end of the line for Bell, who has proven to be a hugely popular manager over the last four years. Were that to happen it would likely be a disappointment for Bell, who likes Korea so much he has even learned the language.

Bell will first summon 23 players from the WK League in preparation for the Arnold Clark Cup on Monday, including Ji So-yun of Suwon FC and Choe Yu-ri of the Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels.

Star striker Lee Geum-min of Brighton & Hove Albion and those playing overseas will join the squad when it arrives in Europe.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]