Star players to lead Women's World Cup

Ji So-yun

By John Duerden

The tournaments are coming thick and fast for Korean football. Following on from the 2014 World Cup last June and the Asian Cup in January will be the women's World Cup this June where South Korea will be represented for only the second time in its history.

Yeo Min-ji

It was 2003 in the United States when the team had its first and only appearance in the competition. Then all three games were lost, just one goal was scored while 14 were conceded. As first times go, it was not the best, but would have been less painful had it been a first step towards a brighter future. After all, the men's team struggled in early World Cups. Yet, Korea failed to build on that early experience. Now, 12 years later it is back.

At least there is not expectation to live up to, though the group is far from easy. Brazil, Spain and Costa Rica provide the opposition and, for South Korea, just getting to the second round will be considered a success.

Things have changed since 2003. In 2010, the Under-17 team won the World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, beating Japan in a dramatic final. Some of those players have made the step up to the senior team. Yeo Min-ji was one of the stars of that summer and the striker is now a regular for the senior side. Lee So-dam is still only 19, but has plenty of experience.

Of course, there's Ji So-yun. The “Messi” of Korean football is not only a star at home in her native land, but has been turning heads in England. The attacker is the three-time Korean football player of the year and joined Chelsea in January. After a stellar year, she was named the best player in the entire Women’s Super League.

And then there's Park Eun-sun. The striker made international headlines back in 2013 after six local coaches demanded she take a gender test. In the end, the coaches apologized and in 2014, whether related to that episode or not, Park transferred to Rossiyanka WFC of Moscow in the top tier of the Russian league.

Having players like Park and Ji in action overseas can only benefit the Korean team and its chances. The W-League in the country was a necessary step and while it does not receive much attention from the media, it is vital to give young players a path to the top. More girls and women playing football is good for everyone in the game. Increasing the football family will benefit all.

Unfortunately, Korea is not involved in the Algarve Cup in March, an annual tournament in Portugal that sees 12 of the best teams in the world in action. This would have been ideal preparation for June, but then there is something to be said for keeping your cards close to your chest also.

There are training camps and friendly games coming up. There is no pressure to win the World Cup or even get to the final four, but if the South Korean women can show that their game is heading in the right direction that will be enough for now.

John Duerden writes for the Guardian, BBC Radio 5, ESPN, World Football magazine and the Associated Press. He also contributes to the New York Times and Daily Telegraph.