Bell calls up mix of old and new faces in final World Cup squad

Korean women’s football team manager Colin Bell, right, talks to his squad during a training session at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi on Wednesday. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

Korean women’s football team manager Colin Bell called up his final 23 player-squad for the 2023 Australia-New Zealand World Cup on Wednesday.


Fourteen out of the 23 players have all played in the World Cup at least once before and seven of them will be playing their third World Cup: Goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi of Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels, defenders Kim Hye-ri and Lim Seon-joo of of the Red Angels, midfielders Ji So-yun of Suwon FC, Lee Geum-min of Brighton & Hove Albion, Cho So-hyun of Tottenham Hotspur and forward Park Eun-sun of the Seoul City Amazones.

The two other goalkeepers joining Kim Jung-mi are Yoon Young-Geul of BK Hacken and Ryu Ji-soo of the Amazones.

Over in defense, Kim Hye-ri and Lim of the Red Angels join teammates Jang Sel-gi and Hong Hye-ji alongside Shim Seo-yeon and Choo Hyo-joo of Suwon and Lee Young-ju of Madrid CFF.

Kim Yun-ji and Jeon Eun-ha of Suwon, Bae Ye-bin of Uiduk University, Chun Ga-ram of Hwacheon KSPO are in the midfield lineup alongside Ji, Cho and Lee Geum-min.

Kang Chae-rim, Choe Yu-ri and Son Hwa-yeon of the Red Angels and Moon Mi-ra of Suwon complete the forward lineup with Casey Yujin Phair from the U.S.-based Players Develop Academy and Park Eun-sun.

Forward Go Yu-na of Hwacheon KSPO and Lee Eun-yeong of Korea University Sejong Campus landed on the reserves list.

The Australia-New Zealand World Cup will likely be the last World Cup for veterans like Kim Jung-mi, Ji, Cho and Park Eun-Sun.

Ji, the most experienced Korean player across all competitions and levels of the game with 144 caps, said on April 2 ahead of a national team training session that the upcoming tournament may be the last for the golden generation.

Kim Jung-mi will become the oldest Korean player regardless of gender — 38 years and nine months old — to compete in a World Cup.

Forward Phair, who was called up for senior squad training for the first time last month, is also on the roster. The 16-year-old is the first-ever Korean American player to play for the Taeguk Ladies and will be the youngest Korean player regardless of gender to make a World Cup debut.

"I think my strengths on the field are my speed and my physical strength and I think I can bring one by one attacking with speed on the sides," Phair told reporters at Paju National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi on Wednesday.

Bell expects her to show her best despite being the youngest player on the squad.

“She's selected because I think she can help the team now, like every other player,” Bell said. “She is going not as a passenger but as a valuable member of the squad. She has every chance of getting into the team.”

Park Eun-sun, 36, was the former record holder, making her first World Cup appearance at the age of 16 years and nine months — eight months later than Phair — at the 2003 World Cup in the United States.

The Taeguk Ladies have trained at the Paju National Football Center since Bell called them up on June 18 and will play a friendly with Haiti on Saturday.

Korea most recently played Zambia in a two-game series in April and won both matches — 5-2 in the first game and 5-0 in the second.

The team showed good overall cohesion during both games and Lee Geum-min was notable, especially in the second game, managing a hat trick.

Park Eun-sun also scored three goals in total during the series — one in the first game and a brace in the second.

Following the final friendly, the Taeguk Ladies will jet off to Australia on Monday next week.

This year’s World Cup is a chance for the squad to redeem themselves after suffering three straight losses in the group stage at the last tournament.

Korea will play their first group stage game against Colombia on July 25, followed by a second game with Morocco on July 30 and third with Germany on Aug. 3.

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