Ahead of third World Cup appearance of his career, Caido hopes to be ace in first leg against Colombia
Caicedo, born in 2005, plays for Real Madrid and is on watch list No. 1.
Ji So-yeon. ⓒ Korea Football Association
안전놀이터After a spectacular last dance, Ji So-yeon (Suwon FC) is finally set to make her first appearance at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The women’s national team, led by Colin Bell, will kick off their Group H campaign against Colombia at the Sydney Football Stadium in New South Wales, Australia, at 11 a.m. (KST) on 25 June.
The 32-nation tournament will see Korea qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time ever. South Korea reached the round of 16 at the 2015 tournament, which was the Taeguks’ highest ever finish at a World Cup.
With their ace, Ji So-yeon, at the helm, Korea will be hoping to reach the quarter-finals. For Ji, this could be her last World Cup, so she’s more determined than ever.
Ji So-yeon is a living legend in women’s football. She is the most capped South Korean player with 145 caps, scoring 67 goals.
After playing for Chelsea Women in England, Ji joined Suwon FC in the WK League last year to focus on her World Cup preparations. Heading to his third World Cup in his career, he will be looking to be a fixture for his country against Colombia in what is seen as a crucial test to reach the round of 16, their primary goal.
Linda Caicedo. AP=News
Colombia’s number one target against South Korea will be 2005-born prodigy Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid), one of the team’s key strikers.
She plays for Real Madrid and is known for her quickness and aggressive runs. She is difficult to stop one-on-one, so Korea will need to organise their defence to keep her on her toes.
However, as he is still a young player, his lack of experience is a drawback. In particular, Kaido was the player who caused the game to be abandoned during the Colombia-Ireland trial just before the World Cup.
While the details of the incident were not made public due to the closed-door nature of the trial, media outlets reported that Irish midfielder Dennis O’Sullivan (Kerridge, North Carolina) was brought down by a hard tackle from Caicedo.
Kaido’s presence is certainly intimidating, but if South Korea can capitalise on his rough play, they could have a good chance.
South Korea’s matchup with Colombia in Pool H is likely to be a battle of aces between Ji So-yeon and Kaseido. It will be interesting to see if Ji So-yeon’s veteran Kwan-rok can keep her ambition in check.