S. Korea's women footballers vow to win regional title

All News 17:28 November 27, 2017

SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean women's national football team players said Monday they will be ready to win an upcoming regional tournament even though some key members are missing.

South Korea, led by head coach Yoon Duk-yeo, will compete at the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship in Chiba, Japan, next month. Yoon's side will open the competition on Dec. 8 against Japan. They will then face North Korea on Dec. 11 and China on Dec. 15.

The E-1 Football Championship isn't on the official FIFA international calendar and foreign clubs aren't obliged to release their international players. For this reason, South Korea will not have key players like Chelsea Ladies forward Ji So-yun, the country's all-time scoring leader with 45 goals, and Jeon Ga-eul, who is with the Australian side Melbourne Victory.

Although overseas-based stars are not with them, midfielder Lee So-dam said the players want to lift the trophy. South Korea were the inaugural champions of the four-nation tournament in 2005, but they haven't won it since. Japan won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2010, and then North Korea claimed consecutive titles in 2013 and 2015.

The 23-year-old, who has four goals in 38 internationals, said that she also wants to be a partner for Lee Min-ah, who is set to join Japanese outfit INAC Kobe Leonessa after an impressive performance in the Women's K League this season. Lee Min-ah had 15 goals and 10 assists in 28 matches to lead Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels to their fifth consecutive WK League title.

"Since we don't have Ji and Jeon this time, I think we have to build a team around Lee Min-ah," she said before training at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul. "Since we had a runner-up finish and took third place a couple times in the past, I really want to win the tournament this time to meet our reputation as the golden generation."

Defender Jang Seul-gi said she especially wants to beat North Korea this time. South Korea have an inferior head-to-head record against North Korea, trailing with one win, three draws and 14 losses.

The two Koreas played to a 1-1 draw in April at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup Group B qualifying tournament in Pyongyang. At the qualifying campaign, which also featured Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and India, South Korea and North Korea finished tied at 10 points with identical records of three wins and a draw. The South, however, had a better goal difference, plus-20 to plus-17, and secured a spot at the AFC Women's Asian Cup next year as the group winners.

"In April, we really wanted to beat North Korea, but it was a pity to draw the match," Jang said. "We want to win this time and lift the tournament trophy."

Jang, who has eight goals in 32 caps, was the goal scorer when South Korea earned a draw against North Korea in Pyongyang. She said that the Taeguk Ladies can be a better than team than North Korea.

"North Korea are a good team with young players' fighting spirit," she said. "If our young players can follow veterans well in the game, I think we can play better than North Korea."