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| ▲ Shim Seo-yeon, defender on the South Korean women's football team for the FIFA Women's World Cup, speaks in an interview with the Korea Football Association (KFA) at Rydges Campbelltown Hotel in Campbelltown, Australia, on July 15, 2023, in this photo provided by the KFA. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korean defender Shim Seo-yeon takes part in a training session for the FIFA Women's World Cup on a practice field at Thomas Hassall Anglican College in Middleton Grange, Australia, on July 15, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Moon Mi-ra, forward on the South Korean women's football team for the FIFA Women's World Cup, poses outside Rydges Campbelltown Hotel in Campbelltown, Australia, on July 15, 2023, after an interview with the Korea Football Association (KFA), in this photo provided by the KFA. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korean forward Moon Mi-ra takes part in a training session for the FIFA Women's World Cup on a practice field at Thomas Hassall Anglican College in Middleton Grange, Australia, on July 15, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Jeon Eun-ha, forward on the South Korean women's football team for the FIFA Women's World Cup, poses outside Rydges Campbelltown Hotel in Campbelltown, Australia, on July 15, 2023, after an interview with the Korea Football Association (KFA), in this photo provided by the KFA. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korean forward Jeon Eun-ha takes part in a training session for the FIFA Women's World Cup on a practice field at Thomas Hassall Anglican College in Middleton Grange, Australia, on July 15, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
football-tournament
Defender cherishes opportunity to play in her final Women's World Cup
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- At age 34, South Korean defender Shim Seo-yeon is quite sure that this year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia will be her last. And she wants to make sure she makes the most of that opportunity.
"Realistically, this will be my final World Cup, and I am looking forward to this one more so than the previous one in 2015," Shim said in a video clip released by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Monday. The interview was conducted Saturday in Campbelltown, Australia, where South Korea, coached by Colin Bell, set up training camp last Wednesday. The Taegeuk Ladies' first Group H match is against Colombia on July 25.
"I am cherishing each and every day now, and I hope I won't leave here with any disappointment or regret," said Shim, who didn't make the 2019 World Cup squad. She's the most senior defender on this year's team. "The vibes in the locker room are unbelievable. We have a good mix of veterans and young players. Since we've been training together for a long time, we have developed good synergy."
At the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, South Korea reached the knockout stage for the first time. They crashed out of the group stage four years later in France after losing all three matches, and now they are trying to get back into the knockout mix.
"As a defender, my objective is to keep the opponents from scoring," Shim said. "It's difficult to score against these teams in the World Cup so we have to make sure we don't concede anything."
On the offensive end, forward Moon Mi-ra said she wants to help the team using her biggest assets: shooting and the ability to finish scoring chances. Moon won the WK League scoring title for Suwon FC Women last season with 10 goals in 16 matches.
"We have a lot of forwards with speed and stamina, and I think I am pretty good at taking shots and finishing around the net," the 31-year-old said. "It's a dream for every football player to make it to the World Cup. It's a huge honor for me to have a chance to play for the second time."
Fellow forward Jeon Eun-ha has been selected to her first World Cup team at age 30. She played at the U-20 Women's World Cup in 2012, but she wasn't sure how that experience will help her this time.
"I think this will be so much more different than the U-20 World Cup," Jeon said. "It still hasn't hit me yet. I think it will take more time for this to sink in for me."
Jeon will have a few of her Suwon FC Women teammates to lean on. Shim and Moon are both her club teammates, as are forward Choo Hyo-joo and midfielder Ji So-yun, South Korea's all-time leading scorer with 67 goals in 145 matches.
"We understand the playing styles of each other, and we can make plays without even speaking," Jeon said. "I have a pretty good knack for predicting things in the future, and I think we'll do something crazy here."
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