“We had nothing to lose, we hadn’t really shown what we were capable of. We ran as hard as we could.” South Korea women’s national soccer team forward Casey Eugene Fair (16-PDA) said on Wednesday after their 1-1 draw against Germany in their third Group H match at the 2023 Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand. South Korea had already lost two games and were on the brink. They gave it their all and ended up with a point against the world’s No. 2 team, Germany.

Paer became the youngest player ever to make a World Cup appearance, male or female, when she came on as a substitute in the first game against Colombia on May 25 (16 years, 26 days). She started the third game against Germany. The pair is a paradox for the South Korean women’s soccer team: The average age of the squad at the tournament is 28.9 years old. It was the oldest of the 32 participating nations, with the youngest player in the entire field.

Despite her diligence on the ground, Paire only managed two shots (one on target) in three games. His quick feet allowed one or two opposing defenders to stay on him, but he still lacked detail. Alongside Pair, Chun Garam (21-Hwacheon KSPO), who represents the “young blood,” did his part by running hard and making accurate tackles in his two appearances. FIFA restricts players from changing their nationality after playing in the World Cup, so the pair will have to wear the Korean flag for the foreseeable future.

After this World Cup, the so-called “golden generation” of women’s soccer is preparing to leave the stage. Twelve players in their 30s are not guaranteed to play at the World Cup in four years, including key players Cho So-hyun (35, Tottenham) and Ji So-yeon (32, Suwon FC). A “generational change” in South Korea’s women’s soccer program is no longer a necessity, but an inevitability.

Compare this to Japan, who won the 2011 World Cup and finished runner-up in 2015. The average age of Japan’s squad at the tournament was 24.8 years old, the fourth youngest among the 32 nations. Japan has accelerated its generational turnover, selecting players who have performed at age-group level, and is cruising through the group stage of the tournament with three wins (11 goals conceded). “The need for generational change has emerged in South Korea, which has been relatively slow in this World Cup,” said Park Moon-sung, a commentator. “Expanding the base of women’s soccer is important in the long run, but we also need to get results now. It is necessary to foster talent by conducting a prospect program at the level of the Football Association.”온라인바카라

Bell emphasized “high intensity” and wanted the players to have the stamina to hold out until the end but also to be able to play fast at times, so they repeated sprinting drills. South Korea did not concede a goal in the second half in all three games. However, there were many inaccurate shots and crosses. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t show our full potential,” the Korean players said, but in the end, they only scored one goal in a sport where goals are supposed to be scored. “We need to look at whether we lost sight of the basics by focusing on ‘high intensity’,” they said.