Ji So-yeon, who is regarding to return to Korea, wins league championship trophy at Chelsea’s farewell match
Enter 2022.05.09 (11:34)
yunhap news
Ji So-yeon (31), the ‘ace’ of Korean women’s soccer, who is regarding to finish 8 years of companionship with Chelsea Women, contributed to her team’s winning of the England Women’s Super League (WSL) in the last home game.
Chelsea won 4-2 at Manchester United’s 2021-2022 WSL Round 22 home match held at Kingsmeadow in London, England on the 8th (local time).
Chelsea, who accumulated 56 points from 22 league matches this season with 18 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, beat second-placed Arsenal (55 points) by one point and climbed to the top of the WSL this season.
With this, Chelsea Women have maintained their supremacy for three consecutive years starting from the 2019-2020 season, winning their fifth WSL title. It is the 6th trophy including the 2017 spring season.
Ji So-yeon, who decided to leave Chelsea to come to Korea following this season, was replaced in the second half when the team was behind 1-2 and contributed to securing the championship with a come-back victory.
In particular, this match was the last match in which Ji So-yeon played at Kings Meadow wearing a Chelsea jersey.
Chelsea have the final of the Women’s FA Cup with Manchester City on the 15th, which was held at Wembley Stadium in London to say goodbye to the home fans that day.
Ji So-yeon played her last home game with support from home fans as well as senior soccer players.
Chelsea’s ‘legend’ Didier Drogba greeted Ji So-yeon in an Instagram story, saying, “You are a star. Once Chelsea, always Chelsea.” Korean soccer legend Park Ji-sung visited the stadium and encouraged Ji So-yeon.
Ji So-yeon, who joined Chelsea in 2014, has always been a key player, appearing in 209 official matches and scoring 68 goals. He ranks third in Chelsea Women’s history in both appearances and goals.
Besides WSL, he has won numerous championships in various competitions, including 3 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, and 1 Community Shield.
Upon his debut at Chelsea, he swept the WSL Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year awards, and became the first non-British player to play in 100 and 200 WSL matches.
For Ji So-yeon, the remaining FA Cup final once morest Manchester City became a farewell stage as a Chelsea player. Not only did he achieve the beauty of Yujong with two gold medals, but he also has the personality of a fight for lust as he lost to Manchester City in the final of the League Cup this season.
Ji So-yeon said in a video posted on the club’s social media, “I won the league. I will go to Wembley and achieve it once more.”
[사진 출처 : 로이터=연합뉴스]
