Team Korea in focus ahead of Women's World Cup

South Korea's women's national football team players dance with pop artists from entertainment agency AOMG after an exhibition match against Haiti at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Saturday. / Yonhap

By John Duerden

South Korea has already made international headlines with its women's team and the hope is that when the Women's World Cup starts later this month, the spotlight stays brightly lit. The reason for the attention is that last week head coach Colin Bell announced his roster for the tournament which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. He included 16-year-old Casey Phair in the 23-player roster, the youngest ever, male or female, to represent the country at a senior level.

There's an even bigger reason why her selection has caught attention. She is also the first player of mixed heritage to represent the Land of the Morning Calm. She is based in the United States with an American father and Korean mother and has been training in New Jersey with the Players Development Academy. After impressing for the U-17 team in Asian qualifiers earlier this year, it remains to be seen how much game time she is going to get. Bell said she is not going to make up the numbers but will travel as a valued member of the team.

“We're taking care of her. She's taken very well to the team. 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.”

To see Phair on the field would be significant. Japan and China have selected players of either mixed heritage or those who have lived or played in the country for enough years to be eligible. Japan had Alessandro Santos, a Brazilian-born defender who moved to the country as a teenager and made over 80 appearances for the national team. China went for naturalizing foreign players a few years ago. There was Nico Yennaris who was born in England to a Chinese mother. The midfielder was with Arsenal for a while and signed for Beijing Guoan in 2019 and then took Chinese citizenship and made his debut for the national team.

Then Brazilians who were playing in China such as Elkeson, Fernandinho and Alan were there long enough to become eligible to represent Team Dragon. They didn't help the team in its efforts to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and some were stranded overseas during the pandemic which puts the entire program in jeopardy.

Korea's men have come close. During qualification for the 2014 World Cup, the Korea Football Association wanted Eninho, a Brazilian who had been one of the best players in the K League, to get citizenship and then a place in the ranks of the Taeguk Warriors. But it never happened.

Now it remains to be seen what happens, and if Phair does represent Korea on the global stage, it will be a significant moment for the country as well as the many people around the world who have ties to the country.

At the end of the day, results are crucial. Group H starts on July 25 against Colombia in Sydney and then continues against Morocco five days later. It ends with a tough meeting with Germany on Aug. 3 in Brisbane. There have been three past appearances at the World Cup and only once has Korea reached the second round. That is certainly possible this time around.