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Cho So-hyun

In this Korean name, the family name is Cho.
Cho So-hyun
Cho in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-06-24) 24 June 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Seoul, South Korea
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Birmingham City
Number 20
Youth career
Yeojoo Institute of Technology
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Suwon FMC
2011–2017 Hyundai Steel Red Angels
2016 → INAC Kobe Leonessa (loan) 17 (0)
2018 Avaldsnes IL 20 (0)
2019–2021 West Ham United 24 (0)
2021 → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 7 (0)
2021–2023 Tottenham Hotspur 21 (0)
2023– Birmingham City 10 (1)
International career‡
2005 South Korea U17 5 (1)
2005–2007 South Korea U20 6 (0)
2007–2009 South Korea Universiade 10 (2)
2007– South Korea 154 (26)
Medal record
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2009 Belgrade Team
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 September 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 June 2024
Cho So-hyun
Hangul
조소현
Hanja
趙昭賢
Revised RomanizationJo Sohyeon
McCune–ReischauerCho Sohyŏn

Cho So-hyun (Korean: 조소현, Korean pronunciation: [tɕo.so.ɦjʌn]; born 24 June 1988) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Championship club Birmingham City and the South Korea women's national team. She is widely regarded[2] as one of South Korea's finest players,[3] and is their second most-capped international player with 154 appearances.[4] Cho was the number 1 pick in the 2009 WK-League draft, signing for Suwon FMC.[5] She has won multiple domestic league titles and was named Korean Women's Player of the Year in 2015.[6]

Club career

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Cho playing for West Ham United in 2020

Hyundai Steel Red Angels

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On 20 November 2017, Cho scored twice in a 3–0 win over Hwacheon KSPO in the second leg of the WK League final.[7] She finished the 2017 season with three goals and two assists in 27 appearances and won her fourth league title.[8]

Loan to INAC Kobe Leonessa

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On 29 January 2016, Cho joined INAC Kobe Leonessa on loan[9] and was given the number 16 shirt.[10] On 26 March, she made her debut in a 3–1 win over Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki.[11] On 11 June, she scored twice in a 6–0 away victory against Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki in the Nadeshiko League Cup.[12] On 25 December, she converted a penalty in INAC Kobe Leonessa's penalty shootout win over Albirex Niigata in the 2016 Empress's Cup Final, helping the club to its sixth Empress's Cup title.[13] Cho finished the season with two goals in 27 appearances in all competitions. On 12 January 2017, it was announced that Cho had returned to Hyundai Steel Red Angels.[14]

Avaldsnes IL

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On 7 February 2018, Cho signed a one-year contract with Avaldsnes IL, becoming the first South Korean woman to play in Norway.[15][16] On 22 April 2018, she made her debut in a 3–0 loss to Vålerenga.[17] With Cho, Avaldsnes IL reached the round of 32 in the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League.

West Ham United

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In December 2018, South Korean media reported that Cho had signed for West Ham United of the English FA Women's Super League.[18] Cho So-hyun was officially announced as a West Ham player on 13 January 2019 via the club website where she was quoted as saying "It's always been my ambition to play in England, so this is a very exciting time for me. It's a big league, and to be signing for a big club like West Ham with all the history, makes it even more special." Cho made her debut on the same day coming on as a second-half substitute against title challengers Manchester City.[19]

In February 2019, Cho provided both assists for Alisha Lehmann as West Ham beat Reading 2–1.[20]

Cho made her Women's FA Cup debut on 3 February 2019 in a 3–1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers.[21] On 14 April 2019 West Ham reached their first FA Cup final by defeating Reading after a penalty shoot-out. With the scoreline deadlocked at 1–1, Cho scored the decisive penalty to send West Ham to Wembley.[22]

On 6 July 2020, Cho signed a new two-year contract with West Ham.[23]

Tottenham Hotspur

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On 28 January 2021, Cho joined the FA WSL side Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season, with an option to make the loan permanent.[24][25] With her men's counterpart Son Heung-min already at the club, it gave Spurs the rare distinction of having both the men's and women's South Korean national team captains at one club.[26]

Spurs announced Cho had officially signed for the club on 2 July 2021.[27] She scored her first goal for Spurs and her first ever goal in England on 17 November 2021 in their League Cup tie against Watford.[28]

Birmingham City

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On 14 September 2023, Cho joined Women's Championship club Birmingham City, signing a one-year contract with an option for another season.[29]

International career

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Cho captained South Korea at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.[30] In their final group match Cho scored a vital equaliser against Spain. They would go on to win the match and finish second in their group which saw them qualify for the knockout stages. It was the first time South Korea had progressed to the round of 16.[31] In 2015, she was named the KFA Footballer of the Year.[32] In April 2018 Cho scored twice against the Philippines at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, a win which saw South Korea qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[33] On 17 May 2019, Cho was officially announced in the 2019 World Cup squad and would again captain the team.[34] Despite South Korea losing their second group stage match to Nigeria, Cho was statistically the best player on the pitch according to football analytics site Twelve Football.[35] In September 2021 Cho scored twice in a 12–0 victory over Mongolia in the Asian Cup qualifiers.[36]

On 30 January 2022, Cho made her 137th appearance for South Korea in a 1–0 victory over Australia at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup and became the most capped South Korean footballer in the country's history.[37]

Cho scored her 23rd international goal on 3 February 2022, the opener in a 2–0 win over the Philippines. That victory saw South Korea reach the final of the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time in history.[38]

At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Cho notably scored South Korea's only goal of the tournament in a 1–1 draw with Germany. While South Korea were thus knocked out of the tournament in the group stage, the result meant that Germany, the second-ranked team in the world, was also eliminated, which was described as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Women's World Cup.[39][40][41]

Personal life

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In an interview with British journalist Drew Diamond, Cho revealed that amongst her many ambitions in life is to become a general manager of a women's football club in her native South Korea.[42]

Alongside fellow South Korean footballer Son Heung-min, Cho was an ambassador for AIA Group where she promoted healthy living.[43] Like Son, Cho also has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas.[citation needed]

Career statistics

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Club

[edit]
As of 21 September 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
West Ham United 2018–19 Women's Super League 7 0 5 0 0 0 12 0
2019–20 8 0 0 0 3 0 11 0
2020–21 9 0 0 0 2 0 11 0
Total 24 0 5 0 5 0 34 0
Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 2020–21 Women's Super League 7 0 2 0 0 0 9 0
Tottenham Hotspur 2021–22 12 0 0 0 2 1 14 1
2022–23 9 0 0 0 3 0 12 0
Total 28 0 2 0 5 1 35 1
Birmingham City 2023–24 Women's Championship 9 1 2 0 2 0 13 1
2024–25 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 10 1 2 0 2 0 14 1
Career total 62 1 9 0 12 1 83 2

International

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Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cho goal.
List of international goals scored by Cho So-hyun
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 24 August 2009 Tainan County Stadium, Tainan County, Taiwan  Guam 9–0 9–0 2010 EAFF Women's Football Championship
2 26 August 2009 Tainan County Stadium, Tainan County, Taiwan  Northern Mariana Islands 14–0 19–0 2010 EAFF Women's Football Championship
3 15 June 2013 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States  United States 1–2 1–4 Friendly
4 15 May 2015 Thống Nhất Stadium, Vietnam  Myanmar 6–0 12–0 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
5 8–0
6 12–0
7 21 September 2014 Munhak Stadium, Incheon, South Korea  Maldives 12–0 13–0 2014 Asian Games
8 18 June 2015 Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon, South Korea  Russia 1–0 2–0 Friendly
9 18 June 2015 TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, Canada  Spain 1–1 2–1 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
10 4 August 2015 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China  Japan 1–1 2–1 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup
11 8 November 2016 Hong Kong Football Club Stadium, Hong Kong  Guam 13–0 13–0 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship preliminary
12 14 November 2016 Hong Kong Football Club Stadium, Hong Kong  Chinese Taipei 9–0 9–0 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship preliminary
13 3 March 2017 GSP Stadium, Strovolos, Cyprus  Scotland 2–0 2–0 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup
14 9 April 2017 Kim Il-sung Stadium, Pyongyang, North Korea  Hong Kong 1–0 6–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
15 3–0
16 11 April 2017 Kim Il-sung Stadium, Pyongyang, North Korea  Uzbekistan 4–0 4–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
17 8 December 2017 Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan  Japan 1–1 2–3 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
18 13 April 2018 King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Vietnam 1–0 4–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup
19 16 April 2018 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Philippines 4–0 5–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup
20 5–0
21 17 September 2021 Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan  Mongolia 2–0 12–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
22 7–0
23 3 February 2022 Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune, India  Philippines 1–0 2–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
24 7 April 2023 Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea  Zambia 1–0 5–2 Friendly
25 4–2
26 3 August 2023 Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia  Germany 1–0 1–1 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Honours

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Suwon FMC

Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels

INAC Kobe Leonessa

West Ham United

South Korea

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2015 World Cup" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  2. ^ "West Ham sign South Korea captain Cho So-hyun". 13 January 2019. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  3. ^ Diamond, Drew (6 June 2020). "Exclusive: Cho So-hyun on her West Ham Ambitions and Olympic Dream". Her Football Hub. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. ^ "각종기록" (in Korean). Korea Football Association (KFA). Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Tottenham's Cho So-Hyun visits home stadium ahead of North London Derby". 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Hyundai Steel Red Angels Midfielder Cho So Hyun and Guangzhou Evergrand Defender Kim Yong Gwon Named Players of The Year By The Korea Football Association". KoreaPortal. 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Incheon Hyundai Steel Defeats Hwacheon KSPO, Winning Total of 5 Champions Title of WK-League". Korea Football Association. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  8. ^ "WK League player stats". WK League. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Veteran midfielder still learning after Japan experience". Yonhap News Agency. 6 January 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  10. ^ "2016シーズン 新加入選手のお知らせ" (in Japanese). INAC Kobe Leonessa. 29 January 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Match report: INAC Kobe Leonessa 3–1 Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki" (in Japanese). Nadeshiko League. 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Match report: Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki 0–6 INAC Kobe Leonessa" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nadeshiko League. 11 June 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Match Report: INAC Kobe Leonessa 0–0 Albirex Niigata" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 25 December 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  14. ^ "チョソヒョン選手 仁川現代製鉄レッドエンジェルズ（韓国）復帰のお知らせ" (in Japanese). INAC Kobe Leonessa. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Sør-koreanske landslagskapteinen skal spille for Avaldsnes" (in Norwegian). Hnytt. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Women's football captain to capitalize on European experience at Asian Cup". Yonhap News Agency. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Match report: Avaldsnes 0–3 Vålerenga" (in Norwegian). Norges Fotballforbund. 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Cho to join West Ham". YonhapNews. 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  19. ^ "West Ham sign South Korea captain Cho So-hyun". West Ham United F.C. 13 January 2019. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  20. ^ "Beard revels in So-Hyun's display as West Ham get the better of Reading". 21 February 2019. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Leon double sends Hammers through in FA Cup". WHUFC. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  22. ^ "West Ham's Cho So-hyun's penalty secures FA Cup final spot as Reading crash out". The Telegraph. 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  23. ^ "West Ham United women quintet sign new contracts". 6 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  24. ^ Goulding, Georgia (29 January 2021). "Spurs sign South Korea captain Cho So-hyun". Her Football Hub. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Cho So-hyun joins Spurs Women". Tottenham Hotspur FC Women. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  26. ^ "South Korea captain Cho So-hyun joins Tottenham Women". AP. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  27. ^ "Cho So-hyun: Tottenham sign West Ham's South Korea midfielder on permanent deal". BBC Sport. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  28. ^ "Commanding Conti-cup win for Spurs Women at Watford". Tottenham Hotspur. 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  29. ^ "Birmingham City sign Man Utd's Ivana Fuso plus Cho So-hyun & Choe Yu-ri". BBC Sport. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  30. ^ "Cho Sohyun, the laid-back lieutenant". FIFA. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  31. ^ "Korea Republic comeback sinks Spanish hopes". FIFA. 18 June 2015. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  32. ^ "Hyundai Steel Red Angels Midfielder Cho So Hyun and Guangzhou Evergrand Defender Kim Yong Gwon Named Players of The Year By The Korea Football Association". 27 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  33. ^ "Malditas outclassed by Korea Republic in World Cup quest". 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  34. ^ "Stars named in Final Korea Republic Squad". 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  35. ^ "Leaderboard – 12 June Nigeria Women vs. Korea Republic Women". 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  36. ^ "S. Korea rout Mongolia 12–0 in Women's Asian Cup qualifier". 17 September 2021.
  37. ^ "조소현, 차범근·홍명보 넘어 한국선수 A매치 최다 출전 137경기". Newsis (in Korean). 30 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Clinical Korea beat Philippines 2–0, enter maiden final of AFC Women's Asian Cup". Times of India. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  39. ^ Kane, Desmond (3 August 2023). "Women's World Cup 2023: Seismic shock as Germany crash out in group stages after South Korea draw". Eurosport. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  40. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (3 August 2023). "Germany crash out of World Cup in huge upset after draw with South Korea". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  41. ^ Bosher, Luke (3 August 2023). "Germany crash out in one of the biggest upsets in Women's World Cup history". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  42. ^ "Exclusive: Cho So-hyun on her West Ham Ambitions and Olympic Dream". Her Football Hub. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  43. ^ "Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and Cho So-hyun join AIA as Ambassadors". BusinessKorea. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Hyundai Steel Red Angels Midfielder Cho So Hyun and Guangzhou Evergrand Defender Kim Yong Gwon Named Players of The Year By The Korea Football Association". KoreaPortal. 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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