Choe Yu-ri gets goal, two assists in Championship season opener

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Choe Yu-ri gets goal, two assists in Championship season opener

Published: 09 Sep. 2024, 12:38 Updated: 09 Sep. 2024, 17:20

JIM BULLEY
jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr

Choe Yu-ri poses in an image posted by Birmingham City's official X account during Sunday's game against Sunderland. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Choe Yu-ri started the 2024-25 Women’s Championship with a bang on Sunday, scoring a goal and picking up two assists as Birmingham City romped to a 5-0 win over Sunderland to take first place on the table.

Choe, 29, player 67 minutes at St. Andrew's in Birmingham, enough time to see all five goals scored and have a hand in three of them. She was subbed off for Libby Smith as the game quietened down in the final frame.

Birmingham were quick off the mark, finding an opener from the feet of Lucy Quinn in the 10th minute. Choe then set up Lily Agg for the second goal in the 32nd, before teaming up with Tegan McGowan to add one of her own in the 39th.

The fourth goal was a penalty from Quinn, with Choe then connecting with Ivano Fuso for a one-two that allowed the Brazilian to slot in No. 5 in the 65th minute.

The big win puts Birmingham in first place on the new season and sends Sunderland down to last, with only three of the league’s 11 teams walking way with three points from the opening weekend. The uneven number of teams in the league means that Blackburn Rovers are yet to play.

Birmingham City, one of the founding teams in the Women’s Super League, were relegated to the second-tier Championship at the end of the 2021-22 season. They came close to getting promoted straight out again, finishing the 2022-23 season in second place by a single point, before dropping down to fifth last year.

Choe is one of three Koreans currently playing for Birmingham City, making it the club with the most Korean players on the books in Europe. Choe and Korean national team teammate Cho So-hyun both play for the women’s team — Cho was on the bench during Sunday’s game — while Paik Seung-ho plays for the men’s team.

Birmingham City women will be back in action next Sunday as they take on Bristol City in the Championship. Paik and the Birmingham City men’s team will face Wrexham in a League One game on Sept. 16.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]