On a hot summer day, the Korean Football Association (KFA) officially unveiled the 24-player Korean Women's Football Team for the preparation of the 2022 East Asian Cup, with the remaining two players to be unveiled at a later date. The team's preparation activities will kick off on July 5th.
The much-anticipated East Asian Cup women's soccer tournament will be held in Kashima, Japan, from July 19 to 26, where the Korean women's soccer team will play against strong teams from Japan, China and Chinese Taipei. Korean women's soccer coach Colin Bell plans to play Japan in the first match on July 19, followed by the Chinese women's soccer team on the 23rd, and challenge Chinese Taipei on the 26th.
Since the establishment of the East Asian Cup in 2003, the women's soccer tournament has been held since 2005. The South Korean women's soccer team was crowned champions in the inaugural East Asian Cup, but have not won since. They have finished second twice, third twice, and fourth twice.In 2019, the Korean women's soccer team finished second to Japan in the final.
It is worth noting that the period of the East Asian Cup is not an official match day under FIFA regulations, and players playing overseas need to obtain permission from their clubs to participate. The original limit was 23 players, but the EAF eventually announced an increase to 26, a number that matches the number of participants in the World Cup.
Today, the Korean Football Association (KFA) released the 24-player squad for the tournament, with Ji Xiaoran seen as the team's ace. The other two players will be announced later.
The 24-player roster for the South Korean women's soccer team is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Kim Jung-mi (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Yoon Young-gak (Independence), Ryu Ji-soo (Seoul Metropolitan City Hall)
Defenders: Lim Sun-joo, Kim Hye-ri, Jang Seok-gi, Hong Hye-ji (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Sink Seo-yeon (Seoul Metropolitan City Hall), Lee Young-joo (CFF Madrid)
Midfielders: Ji Xiaoran, Kim Yoon-ji (Suwon FC), Cho So-hyun (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Min-e, Jang Chang (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Kim Sung-mi (Sejongdol)
Forwards: Choi Yoo-ri, Kang Chae-rim, Son Hwa-yeon (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Moon Mi-ra, Jeon Eun-ha, Joo Hyo-joo (Suwon FC), Park Eun-seon, Jang Yoo-bin (Seoul Metropolitan City Hall), Ko Min-jeong (Changnyeong WFC)
