After winning both games of a two-game series against the Philippines, South Korea’s women’s national soccer team head coach Colleen Bell said she was pleased with the performance but disappointed with the result, calling it a “7-0” performance.
Bell’s South Korea (20th in the FIFA rankings) won 2-1 in a friendly against the Philippines (39th) at Icheon Sports Complex in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, on Aug. 8.
After winning the first leg 3-0 at the same stadium on May 5, South Korea won the second leg behind a strong performance from Choi Yuri (Birmingham City), who had one goal and one assist.
Despite the one-goal deficit, Belo completely dominated the Philippines. They were outshot 30 to 3 and dominated the ball possession 74% to 26%.
“Tonight’s performance, I’m happy, I’m happy, but I’m disappointed with the result,” Coach Bell said in his characteristically slurred Korean, “Tonight’s content, 7-0, 8-0 (could have been), the Philippines didn’t have many chances.”
“In the second half, we played passively and conceded a free kick, and that one shot led to the goal,” he said in English, “but that’s part of soccer, and soccer is all about scoring goals.”
“If it was 3-0 or 4-0, I would have tried to bring in younger players, but after the second goal, the Philippines came out aggressively and it was unfortunate that we couldn’t do that,” reflected Bell, who has promoted generational change and domestic trials with the Philippines.
Bell, who utilized players who were not often found in the national team, such as Yoo Gi-na (Hwacheon KSPO) and Choi Ye-seul (Gyeongju Hansuwon), during the A-match, called for an environment where 16- and 17-year-old players can play in the WK League.
Against the Philippines, Kim Jung-mi (Incheon Hyundai Steel), who has been in goal all along, did not play.
It was a rare opportunity for Bell, who has consistently picked Kim Jung-mi, except for last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 first-round match 토토 against Colombia when Yoon Young-gul (retired) played, to give the rookie a chance.
Bell, who said goalkeeper is a “problem position” in South Korean women’s soccer, reiterated the need to create a “system” for young players to develop.
Bell’s tenure runs until the end of this year. After failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics, there are no major tournaments in his remaining term.
Bell said he recognizes his role as a “technical advisor” to come up with system improvements, but also as a “head coach,” an on-field leader who wins games.
“I will provide my analytics to the federation by the end of the year, and I will also play a role in advising the age group coaches,” he said, “but the most important thing is to build a strong and competitive national team.”
Torcaso Philippines head coach Mark Gabriele said: “We had a good mix of young players and veterans who fought hard despite missing key players. I’m proud of them,” he said. “We’re grateful to be able to play against the Asian powerhouse. We are trying to close the gap,” he said.
“We will use the assets we gained from this tournament as we prepare for the next World Cup. We will work on harmonizing our players and improving our organization.”