Cho So-hyun

Cho So-hyun (Korean: 조소현, Korean pronunciation: [tɕo.so.ɦjʌn]; born 24 June 1988) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from West Ham United in the FA WSL. She is the Captain of the South Korean national team and is a natural 8, the number she wears for Korea, playing as a box to box midfielder. She is widely regarded[2] as one of South Korea's finest ever players[3] and is their most capped player.[4]

In this Korean name, the family name is Cho.
Cho So-hyun
조소현
Cho in January 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-06-24) 24 June 1988
Place of birth South Korea
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Tottenham Hotspur
(on loan from West Ham United)
Number 11
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– West Ham United 24 (0)
2021– → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 0 (0)
National team‡
2005 South Korea U17 5 (1)
2005–2007 South Korea U20 6 (0)
2007–2009 South Korea Universiade 10 (2)
2007– South Korea 126 (20)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 Jan 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 Oct 2019
Cho So-hyun
Hangul
조소현
Revised RomanizationJo Sohyeon
McCune–ReischauerCho Sohyŏn

Personal life

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 Korea.[5]

She enjoys gaming and dance machines in her spare-time.

Club career
Cho playing for West Ham in 2020

Hyundai Steel Red Angels

On 20 November 2017, Cho scored twice in a 3–0 win over Hwacheon KSPO in the second leg of the WK League final.[6] She finished the 2017 season with three goals and two assists in 27 appearances and won her fourth league title.[7]

Loan to INAC Kobe Leonessa

On 29 January 2016, Cho joined INAC Kobe Leonessa on loan[8] and was given the number 16 shirt.[9] On 26 March, she made her debut in a 3–1 win over Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki.[10] On 11 June, she scored twice in a 6–0 away victory against Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki in the Nadeshiko League Cup.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

Avaldsnes IL

On 7 February 2018, Cho signed a one-year contract with Avaldsnes IL, becoming the first South Korean woman to play in Norway.[14][15] On 22 April 2018, she made her debut in a 3–0 loss to Vålerenga.[16] With Cho, Avaldsnes IL reached the round of 32 in the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League.

West Ham United
Cho So-hyun during filming for FIFA TV ahead of the 2019 FIFA World Cup.

In December 2018, South Korean media reported that Cho had signed for West Ham United Women of the English FA Women's Super League.[17] 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.[18] In February 2019 Cho provided both assists for Alisha Lehmann as West Ham beat Reading 2–1.[19]

Cho made her Women's FA Cup debut on 3 February 2019 in a 3–1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers.[20] 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.[21]

On 6 July 2020 it was announced Cho had signed a new two-year contract with West Ham.[22]

Loan to Tottenham Hotspur

On Deadline Day, 28 January 2021, Cho joined FA WSL side Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, with an option to make the loan permanent.[23]

Women's Super League career statistics
As of matches played 17 January 2021
Appearances and goals by season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
West Ham United 2018–19 FA WSL 705000120
2019–20 800030110
2020–21 900020110
Total 2405050340
Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 2020–21 FA WSL 00000000
WSL career total 2405050340

International career

Cho captained South Korea at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.[24] 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.[25] In 2015, she was named the KFA Footballer of the Year.[26] 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.[27] On 17 May 2019, Cho was officially announced in the 2019 World Cup squad and would again captain the team.[28] 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.[29]

Honours

Club
Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels
INAC Kobe Leonessa
West Ham United

International

Individual

References
  1. 2015 World Cup
  2. "West Ham sign South Korea captain Cho So-hyun". 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. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. "각종기록" (in Korean). Korea Football Association (KFA). Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. "Exclusive: Cho So-hyun on her West Ham Ambitions and Olympic Dream". Her Football Hub. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  6. "Incheon Hyundai Steel Defeats Hwacheon KSPO, Winning Total of 5 Champions Title of WK-Leagu". Korea Football Association. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. "WK League player stats". WK League. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  8. "Veteran midfielder still learning after Japan experience". Yonhap News Agency. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. "2016シーズン　新加入選手のお知らせ" (in Japanese). INAC Kobe Leonessa. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. "Match report: INAC Kobe Leonessa 3–1 Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki" (in Japanese). Nadeshiko League. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  11. "Match report: Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki 0–6 INAC Kobe Leonessa" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nadeshiko League. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  12. "Match Report: INAC Kobe Leonessa 0–0 Albirex Niigata" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 25 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  13. "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. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  14. "Sør-koreanske landslagskapteinen skal spille for Avaldsnes" (in Norwegian). Hnytt. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  15. "Women's football captain to capitalize on European experience at Asian Cup". Yonhap News Agency. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  16. "Match report: Avaldsnes 0–3 Vålerenga" (in Norwegian). Norges Fotballforbund. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  17. "Cho to join West Ham". YonhapNews. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  18. "West Ham sign South Korea captain Cho So-hyun". West Ham United F.C. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  19. "Beard revels in So-Hyun's display as West Ham get the better of Reading". 21 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  20. "Leon double sends Hammers through in FA Cup". WHUFC. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  21. "West Ham's Cho So-hyun's penalty secures FA Cup final spot as Reading crash out". The Telegraph. 14 April 2019.
  22. "West Ham United women quintet sign new contracts". 6 July 2020.
  23. "Cho So-hyun joins Spurs Women". Tottenham Hotspur FC Women. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  24. "Cho Sohyun, the laid-back lieutenant". FIFA. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  25. "Korea Republic comeback sinks Spanish hopes". FIFA. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  26. "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.
  27. "Malditas outclassed by Korea Republic in World Cup quest". 17 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  28. "Stars named in Final Korea Republic Squad". 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  29. "Leaderboard – 12 June Nigeria Women vs. Korea Republic Women". 12 June 2019.
  30. "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. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  31. "West Ham's penalty hero named SSE Women's FA Cup Player of the Round". CountyGazette. 22 April 2019.
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