Ji_So-Yun

Ji So-yun

Ji So-yun

South Korean footballer (born 1991)

Ji So-yun (Korean: 지소연, Korean pronunciation: [tɕi.so.jʌn]; born 21 February 1991) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the South Korea national team.

In this Korean name, the family name is Ji.
Quick Facts Personal information, Date of birth ...
Quick Facts Hangul, Hanja ...

Club career

Ji with Chelsea in 2014

Ji started her career in Japan, playing for Nadeshiko League champions INAC Kobe Leonessa between 2011 and 2013. In November 2013, Ji was subject to a transfer bid from English club Chelsea.[2] She agreed to a two-year contract in January 2014.[3] When the transfer was officially confirmed later that month, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said of Ji: "She is one of the best midfielders in the world and our fans will love her."[4] In one of her final matches for the Japanese club, Ji scored against her soon-to-be new club, Chelsea, in the International Women's Club Championship final.[5]

Ji was named Players' Player of the Year after her first season in England, as Chelsea narrowly missed out on the FA WSL 1 league title on the last day of the season.[6] She was named PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year in April 2015 and was also named in the PFA WSL Team of the Year.[7][8]

In the 2015 FA Women's Cup Final, staged at Wembley Stadium for the first time, Ji scored the only goal of the match to win the Cup for Chelsea.[9] In October 2015 she also scored in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Sunderland which secured the club's first FA WSL title and a League and Cup double.[10]

On 1 April 2018, Ji made her 100th appearance for Chelsea in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal.[11]

In the light of her performances for Chelsea over the years and the instrumental role she played in Chelsea's 2020–21 FA WSL winning team, Suzanne Wrack of The Guardian claimed that Ji was the best foreign player in the history of WSL.[12]

After spending eight years with Chelsea, Ji left the club following the 2021–22 season. She made over 200 appearances and scored 68 goals in all competitions, and won six league titles, four FA Cups, two league cups, and one Community Shield.[13]

On 24 May 2022, Ji returned to her homeland and joined WK League side Suwon FC, her first spell with a South Korean club.[14] On her WK League debut on 18 August 2022, she scored a brace in a 3–0 victory against Boeun Sangmu.[15]

On 24 January 2024, the National Women's Soccer League club Seattle Reign FC announced that they had signed Ji on a two-year contract through the 2025 season.[16]

International career

Ji represented South Korea at under-17 level and was part of the under-20 team that finished as runners-up at the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship, and in third place at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[17]

In October 2006, Ji made her senior team debut while playing at the 2006 Peace Queen Cup. On 30 November 2006, she became the youngest goalscorer (15 years, 282 days) for the South Korean senior team after scoring two goals against Chinese Taipei at the 2006 Asian Games.[17][18]

Ji is the all-time top scorer of the South Korea women's national team with 71 goals.[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 November 2023[19]
More information Club, Season ...
  1. Includes Empress's Cup and Women's FA Cup
  2. Includes Nadeshiko League Cup and FA WSL Cup
  3. Includes International Women's Club Championship and UEFA Women's Champions League
  4. Includes Women's FA Community Shield and WK League play-offs

International

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ji goal.
More information No., Date ...

Honours

INAC Kobe Leonessa

Chelsea

South Korea U20

South Korea Universiade

South Korea

Individual

References

  1. [1]
    "Ji So-yun – Biography". Chelsea F.C. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  2. [2]
    "Chelsea Ladies FC interested in signing Ji So-yeon". Arirang. 29 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  3. [3]
    "Korean footballer Ji So-yun to sign two-year deal with Chelsea Ladies". Arirang. 3 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  4. [4]
    "Chelsea Ladies sign South Korean midfielder Ji So-Yun". BBC Sport. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  5. [5]
    Bond, Steve (8 December 2013). "Chelsea Ladies lose to Inac Kobe Leonessa despite defiant late rally". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. [6]
    "Chelsea's Ji So-Yun named WSL player's player of the year". BBC Sport. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  7. [7]
    "Who won what? PFA award winners in full". BBC Sport. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  8. [8]
    "Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun is the PFA Women's Player of the Year". Sky Sports. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  9. [9]
    Aloia, Andrew (1 August 2015). "How Chelsea won the Women's FA Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  10. [10]
    Garry, Tom (4 October 2015). "WSL 1: Chelsea Ladies 4–0 Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  11. [11]
    "Ladies report: Arsenal 1 Chelsea 1". Chelsea F.C. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  12. [12]
    Wrack, Suzanne (10 May 2021). "'A formidable partnership': player ratings for Chelsea's WSL title winners". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Ji So-yun makes final appearance in a Chelsea shirt as club wins FA Cup final". Korea JoongAng Daily. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Ex-Chelsea FC Women star Ji So-yun signs with S. Korean club Suwon". Yonhap News Agency. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  15. [15]
    "월드클래스의 강림, 지소연 수원FC '데뷔전 멀티골'". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Seattle Reign FC Signs South Korean Midfielder Ji So-Yun". Seattle Reign FC. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  17. [17]
    "[한국축구유망주60] 지소연: 여자축구의 미래이자 희망" [Ji So Yeon & apos; Future of women's football and hope] (in Korean). Korea Football Association. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  18. [18]
    "각종기록" [Various records]. kfa.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  19. [19]
    "Ji So-yun profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  20. [20]
    "Chelsea's South Korean star eyes World Cup success". FIFA. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  21. [21]
    "Son Heung-min, Ji So-yun win Korea's top football award, again". Korea JoongAng Daily. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  22. [22]
    "PFA awards: Leicester and Spurs dominate Premier League team". BBC Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  23. [23]
    "PFA Women's Team of the Year: Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City dominate". The Guardian. Press Association. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  24. [24]
    "IFFHS ALL TIME ASIA WOMEN'S DREAM TEAM". IFFHS. 9 June 2021.
  25. [25]
    "WK리그 첫 시상식에 들뜬 지소연 "신인상, 조금 탐나긴 했죠"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
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