Ji So-yun
File:NC Courage vs Seattle Reign (Apr 2024) 094.jpg | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 21 February 1991 | ||
Place of birth | Seoul, South Korea[1] | ||
Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Seattle Reign FC | ||
Number | 91 | ||
Youth career | |||
2006–2008 | Dongsan Info & Industry HS | ||
2009–2010 | Hanyang Women's University | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2013 | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 48 | (21) |
2014–2022 | Chelsea | 124 | (37) |
2022–2024 | Suwon FC | 23 | (8) |
2024– | Seattle Reign FC | 19 | (3) |
International career‡ | |||
2007–2008 | South Korea U17 | 15 | (11) |
2007–2010 | South Korea U20 | 17 | (13) |
2006– | South Korea | 160 | (71) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 June 2024 |
Ji So-yun | |
Hangul | 지소연 |
---|---|
Hanja | 池笑然 |
Revised Romanization | Ji Soyeon |
McCune–Reischauer | Chi Soyŏn |
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.
Club career
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]
Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | League cup[lower-alpha 2] | International[lower-alpha 3] | Other[lower-alpha 4] | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
INAC Kobe Leonessa | 2011 | Nadeshiko League | 16 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 8 | |||
2012 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 25 | 7 | ||||
2013 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 31 | 19 | |||
Total | 48 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 76 | 34 | |||
Chelsea | 2014 | FA WSL | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | — | — | 19 | 9 | ||
2015 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 26 | 10 | |||
2016 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 10 | |||
2017 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 10 | 6 | |||||
2017–18 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | 28 | 12 | |||
2018–19 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 30 | 9 | |||
2019–20 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 7 | ||||
2020–21 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
2021–22 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | |||
Total | 124 | 37 | 26 | 17 | 26 | 8 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 210 | 68 | ||
Suwon FC | 2022 | WK League | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |||
2023 | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 21 | 5 | |||||
Total | 23 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 11 | ||
Career total | 195 | 66 | 37 | 23 | 41 | 14 | 35 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 313 | 113 |
- ↑ Includes Empress's Cup and Women's FA Cup
- ↑ Includes Nadeshiko League Cup and FA WSL Cup
- ↑ Includes International Women's Club Championship and UEFA Women's Champions League
- ↑ 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.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 30 November 2006 | Doha, Qatar | File:Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986–2010).svg Chinese Taipei | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 Asian Games |
2 | 2–0 | |||||
3 | 17 February 2007 | Masan, South Korea | File:Flag of India.svg India | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers |
4 | 15 April 2007 | Hai Phong, Vietnam | File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers |
5 | 2–1 | |||||
6 | 12 August 2007 | Cheongju, South Korea | File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers |
7 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | File:Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Northern Mariana Islands | 1–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers |
8 | 11–0 | |||||
9 | 12–0 | |||||
10 | 16–0 | |||||
11 | 19–0 | |||||
12 | 30 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | File:Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986–2010).svg Chinese Taipei | 5–0 | 6–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers |
13 | 10 February 2010 | Tokyo, Japan | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship |
14 | 14 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam | 1–1 | 6–1 | 2010 Asian Games |
15 | 16 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2010 Asian Games |
16 | 2–0 | |||||
17 | 5–0 | |||||
18 | 22 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 Asian Games |
19 | 7 March 2011 | Paralimni, Cyprus | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2011 Cyprus Women's Cup |
20 | 18 June 2011 | Ehime, Japan | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
21 | 3 September 2011 | Jinan, China | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2012 Summer Olympics Qualifiers |
22 | 14 January 2013 | Chongqing, China | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
23 | 6 March 2013 | Paralimni, Cyprus | File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup |
24 | 8 March 2013 | Paralimni, Cyprus | File:Ulster Banner.svg Northern Ireland | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup |
25 | 27 July 2013 | Seoul, South Korea | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup |
26 | 2–0 | |||||
27 | 5 March 2014 | Paralimni, Cyprus | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup |
28 | 7 March 2014 | Paralimni, Cyprus | File:Flag of Ireland.svg Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup |
29 | 15 May 2014 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar | 1–0 | 12–0 | 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
30 | 17 May 2014 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
31 | 12 November 2014 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | File:Flag of Guam.svg Guam | 1–0 | 15–0 | 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers |
32 | 8–0 | |||||
33 | 15 November 2014 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | File:Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong | 1–0 | 9–0 | 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers |
34 | 13 January 2015 | Shenzhen, China | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 2–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
35 | 15 January 2015 | Shenzhen, China | File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
36 | 4 March 2015 | Nicosia, Cyprus | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup |
37 | 5 April 2015 | Incheon, South Korea | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
38 | 8 April 2015 | Incheon, South Korea | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
39 | 13 June 2015 | Montreal, Canada | File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |
40 | 3 March 2017 | Nicosia, Cyprus | File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup |
41 | 6 March 2017 | Larnaca, Cyprus | File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup |
42 | 5 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | File:Flag of India.svg India | 8–0 | 10–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification |
43 | 10–0 | |||||
44 | 11 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification |
45 | 4–0 | |||||
46 | 19 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives | 1–0 | 8–0 | 2018 Asian Games |
47 | 21 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia | 10–0 | 12–0 | 2018 Asian Games |
48 | 12–0 | |||||
49 | 31 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | File:Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986–2010).svg Chinese Taipei | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 Asian Games |
50 | 28 February 2019 | Sydney, Australia | File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2019 Cup of Nations |
51 | 5–0 | |||||
52 | 3 March 2019 | Brisbane, Australia | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2019 Cup of Nations |
53 | 6 March 2019 | Melbourne, Australia | File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Cup of Nations |
54 | 9 April 2019 | Chuncheon, South Korea | File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
55 | 6 October 2019 | Chicago, United States | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
56 | 3 February 2020 | Seogwipo, South Korea | File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar | 1–0 | 7–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round |
57 | 3–0 | |||||
58 | 9 February 2020 | Seogwipo, South Korea | File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round |
59 | 17 September 2021 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia | 5–0 | 12–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification |
60 | 21 January 2022 | Pune, India | File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
61 | 3–0 | |||||
62 | 24 January 2022 | Pune, India | File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
63 | 30 January 2022 | Pune, India | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
64 | 6 February 2022 | Navi Mumbai, India | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 2–0 | 2–3 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
65 | 19 July 2022 | Kashima, Japan | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
66 | 22 February 2023 | Bristol, England | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2023 Arnold Clark Cup |
67 | 8 July 2023 | Seoul, South Korea | File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
68 | 22 September 2023 | Wenzhou, China | File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2022 Asian Games |
69 | 25 September 2023 | Wenzhou, China | File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines | 3–1 | 5–1 | 2022 Asian Games |
70 | 24 February 2024 | Oeiras, Portugal | File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
71 | 5 April 2024 | Icheon, South Korea | File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
Honours
INAC Kobe Leonessa
- Nadeshiko League Division 1: 2011, 2012, 2013
- Empress's Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013
- Nadeshiko League Cup: 2013
- International Women's Club Championship: 2013
Chelsea
- FA Women's Super League: 2015, 2017, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Women's FA Cup: 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
- FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
- Women's FA Community Shield: 2020
South Korea U20
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup third place: 2010
- AFC U-19 Women's Championship runner-up: 2009
South Korea Universiade
South Korea
- AFC Women's Asian Cup runner-up: 2022
- Asian Games bronze medal: 2010, 2014, 2018
Individual
- Summer Universiade Most Valuable Player: 2009[20]
- AFC U-19 Women's Championship top goalscorer: 2009
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Ball: 2010[20]
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Shoe: 2010[20]
- Korean FA Women's Player of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022[18][21]
- FA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2014[6]
- PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2014–15[7][8]
- PFA Women's Super League Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20[7][22][23]
- IFFHS Asian Women's Team of All Time: 2021[24]
- WK League Midfielder of the Year: 2022[25]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Ji So-yun – Biography". Chelsea F.C. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Chelsea Ladies sign South Korean midfielder Ji So-Yun". BBC Sport. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ↑ Bond, Steve (8 December 2013). "Chelsea Ladies lose to Inac Kobe Leonessa despite defiant late rally". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Chelsea's Ji So-Yun named WSL player's player of the year". BBC Sport. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Who won what? PFA award winners in full". BBC Sport. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun is the PFA Women's Player of the Year". Sky Sports. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ↑ Aloia, Andrew (1 August 2015). "How Chelsea won the Women's FA Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ↑ Garry, Tom (4 October 2015). "WSL 1: Chelsea Ladies 4–0 Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ↑ "Ladies report: Arsenal 1 Chelsea 1". Chelsea F.C. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Ex-Chelsea FC Women star Ji So-yun signs with S. Korean club Suwon". Yonhap News Agency. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ↑ "월드클래스의 강림, 지소연 수원FC '데뷔전 멀티골'". The Hankyoreh (in 한국어). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ↑ "Seattle Reign FC Signs South Korean Midfielder Ji So-Yun". Seattle Reign FC. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "[한국축구유망주60] 지소연: 여자축구의 미래이자 희망" [Ji So Yeon & apos; Future of women's football and hope] (in 한국어). Korea Football Association. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "각종기록" [Various records]. kfa.or.kr (in 한국어). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ↑ "Ji So-yun profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Chelsea's South Korean star eyes World Cup success". FIFA. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ↑ "Son Heung-min, Ji So-yun win Korea's top football award, again". Korea JoongAng Daily. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ "PFA awards: Leicester and Spurs dominate Premier League team". BBC Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ↑ "PFA Women's Team of the Year: Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City dominate". The Guardian. Press Association. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ↑ "IFFHS ALL TIME ASIA WOMEN'S DREAM TEAM". IFFHS. 9 June 2021.
- ↑ "WK리그 첫 시상식에 들뜬 지소연 "신인상, 조금 탐나긴 했죠"". Yonhap News Agency (in 한국어). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
External links
- Ji So-yun National Women's Soccer League profile
- Ji So-yun – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Ji So-yun at Soccerway
- 1991 births
- Living people
- Chungju Ji clan
- Footballers from Seoul
- Women's association football midfielders
- South Korean women's footballers
- South Korea women's youth international footballers
- South Korea women's under-20 international footballers
- South Korea women's international footballers
- INAC Kobe Leonessa players
- Chelsea F.C. Women players
- Suwon FC Women players
- Seattle Reign FC players
- Nadeshiko League players
- Women's Super League players
- WK League players
- National Women's Soccer League players
- South Korean expatriate women's footballers
- Expatriate women's footballers in Japan
- Expatriate women's footballers in England
- Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States
- South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Japan
- South Korean expatriate sportspeople in England
- South Korean expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Asian Games medalists in football
- Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games
- Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
- Footballers at the 2014 Asian Games
- Footballers at the 2018 Asian Games
- 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Asian Games bronze medalists for South Korea
- Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
- FIFA Women's Century Club
- FISU World University Games gold medalists for South Korea
- Summer World University Games medalists in football
- 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Medalists at the 2009 Summer Universiade
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Footballers at the 2022 Asian Games