“It's a difficult situation because we haven't qualified for the World Cup and Olympics since 2020, but in a way, I think it's an opportunity to sketch on a blank slate and color it.”
Shin Sang-woo, the new head coach of the Korean women's national soccer team, gave his diagnosis of the current state of women's soccer at his inaugural press conference at the Football Hall this morning (Nov. 17). In short, she said, “We will turn the crisis into an opportunity.
Shin, who was appointed to replace Colleen Bell in June after the coach's contract was terminated early by mutual consent with the Korea Football Association, has been coaching the K League Gimcheon Sangmu since 2022, but has a wealth of experience in women's soccer.
After serving as head coach of Boeunsangmu in the WK League in 2015, Shin took the helm of Icheon Daegyo in 2017, and when the club disbanded after the 2017 season, he moved to Changnyeong WFC in 2018 to take over as the club's first head coach.
Despite the move to men's soccer, 토토사이트 Shin emphasized that he hasn't lost interest in women's soccer. “The Mungyeong Armed Forces Sports Unit has a women's soccer team as well as a men's soccer team, so I've been watching WK League matches whenever the schedule allows. I'm sure Jung Jung-yong will scold me for saying this, but I've been watching women's soccer on YouTube in my spare time,” Shin said.
Shin has three main goals for the women's national soccer team. Communication, motivation, and strategies and tactics that suit female players. Shin emphasized motivation in particular. “I've realized in my nine years of coaching women's soccer that the most important thing is the motivation to do well rather than the whip for not doing well,” Shin said.
The women's national soccer team was knocked out in the group stage at last year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and fell in the quarterfinals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Even more problematic than the lack of results is the environment in which the women's national team has struggled to compete on a consistent basis. Even during the July A-match period set by FIFA, the women's national team was unable to play an A-match, let alone an exhibition match, due to Bell's departure.
“The Korea Football Association has also promised to continue to play A matches, and we have the idea that we should continue to play friendly matches to improve our performance even if there are no tournaments,” said Shin Sang-woo.
“It's not easy to change generations right away,” he said of the women's national team's remaining challenge. “There are some players who were selected late, but if every coach's dream is to be a national team coach, I think every player's dream is to be a national team player,” Shin said.
However, Shin is not giving up hope just yet. “The good thing is that there are many young players in the WK League who are drafted (in their first or second year of university). Lee Min-hwa and Lee Yoo-jin, who were selected this time, have good judgment and physical condition. If these players play for the national team, they will be able to motivate other players,” said Shin.
The new Shin Sang-wooho will make its debut in a friendly match against the Japanese women's national team on June 26. Japan (No. 7) is ranked higher than Korea (No. 19) in the FIFA rankings and reached the quarterfinals at last year's World Cup. “Playing against such a strong team will help the development of Korean women's soccer,” Shin said.