Colin Bell calls up 31 players for World Cup training

The Korean women's team celebrates during a friendly with Zambia at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi on April 7. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Korean women’s national team manager Colin Bell called up 31 players on Saturday to join training next week before he selects a final 23-woman squad for the 2023 Australia-New Zealand World Cup in July.

Bell will first call up the 31 players for a training session from June 18 through June 23, ahead of an upcoming tune-up friendly against Haiti on July 8.

The 23 players that make up the final squad will then jet off to Australia on July 10.

The current roster includes veterans Ji So-yun of Suwon FC and Cho So-hyun of Tottenham Hotspur — the most-capped Korean footballers of all time with 144 caps each — alongside other regular picks like of Lee Geum-min of Brighton & Hove Albion and Park Eun-seon of the Seoul City Amazones.

Madrid CFF defender Lee Young-ju, who has missed matches with the national team due to an injury since the end of the EAEF E-1 Football Championship last July, is also included.

Five players will be wearing the senior national team jersey for the first time: Casey Yujin Phair, currently studying at the U.S.-baed Players Development Academy, Won Ju-eun and Kwon Da-eun of Hyundai High School, Choi Ye-seul of Changnyeong WFC and Go Yuna of Hwacheon KSPO.

The three teenage forwards — Phair, Won and Kwon — could give Bell various attack options, considering the young talents have all proved their potential on the international stage.

Phair scored five goals in the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers last year, with Won and Kwon managing four apiece.

The inclusion of Kwon — 15 years and 309 days old — makes her the second-youngest player, regardless of gender, ever to be included in the national team, after Ji, who made the squad at 15 years and 219 days.

Bell said that age does not matter as long as a player shows her capabilities and all 31 players have to work hard every day to be selected for the final squad.

Three other goalkeepers join 23-year-old Choi: Kim Jung-mi of Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angeles, Ryu Ji-soo of the Amazones and Yoon Young-geul of BK Hacken.

Kim Hye-ri, Lim Seon-joo, Jang Sel-gi and Hong Hye-ji of the Hyundai Steel Red Angeles and Shim Seo-yeon and Choo Hyo-joo of Suwon FC complete the defense lineup with Lee Young-ju.

Kim Yun-ji, Jeon Eun-ha of Suwon FC, Bae Ye-bin of Uiduk University and Chun Ga-ram of Hwacheon KSPO join the veteran midfield trio of Ji, Cho and Lee Geum-min.

The four new forwards Go, Kwon, Won and Phair join Kang Chae-rim, Son Hwa-yeon, Jung Seol-bin and Choe Yu-ri of the Hyundai Steel Red Angeles, Mun Eun-ju of Hwacheon KSPO, Moon Mi-ra of Suwon FC, Park and Jang You-been of the Amazones and Lee Eun-young of Korea University Sejong Campus.

The current squad will prepare for the upcoming friendly with Haiti next month, before they may play one other friendly in Australia, as the Korea Football Association is trying to arrange a match right before the World Cup begins on July 20.

Korea is in Group H with Colombia, Morocco and Germany at the World Cup. The Taeguk Ladies will play their first group stage game against Colombia on July 25, followed by second game with Morocco on July 30 and third with Germany on Aug. 3.

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