Korean women's team to face Canada in June friendly

The Korean women's football team will take on Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Canada in a friendly on June 26 at BMO Field in Toronto.

The Korean women's football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi on April 8. [NEWS1]

The Korean women's football team will take on Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Canada in a friendly on June 26 at BMO Field in Toronto.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Thursday that the senior women's squad will take on Canada at 3 p.m. on June 26, or 4 a.m. on June 27 in Korea.

Colin Bell and the Taeguk Ladies fly to Canada in the midst of a busy year that has already seen them finish second at the 2022 Asian Cup in February as they continue to prepare for the 2023 Women's World Cup next summer.

With a year still to go before the World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 next year, the KFA has been working to book as many friendlies as possible to keep the team playing together.

The Taeguk Ladies flew to the United States at the end of last year where they played two games against the world No. 1 team, drawing the first game 0-0 and then losing the second 6-0. Korea then took on New Zealand in back-to-back friendlies, winning the first 2-1 and losing the second 2-0.

Following the Asian Cup, Korea has already managed to fit in one more friendly against Vietnam in April, winning 3-0.

Canada ought to provide another interesting challenge for the Taeguk Ladies. Ranked at No. 6 in the world to Korea's No. 17, Canada are a technically superior team but Korea have a few standout stars that could give the visiting team the edge.

Korea will then be back in action in July for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship, a four-way football tournament organized by the East Asian Football Federation. The Asian Games would have followed, but has now been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]