Koreans in Europe: Cho So-hyun scores debut goal to lead Birmingham to 1-0 win

Cho So-hyun scored her first goal for Birmingham City in her second Championship start on Sunday, hammering the ball into the top corner in the seventh minute for a 1-0 win over London City.

Birmingham City midfielder Cho So-hyun celebrates after scoring against London City in a photo posted to the club's official X account on Sunday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Cho So-hyun scored her first goal for Birmingham City in her second Championship start on Sunday, hammering the ball into the top corner in the seventh minute for a 1-0 win over London City.

Cho, who has spent most of her career at the Women’s Championship club sidelined with an injury, played the full 90 minutes at St. Andrew's in Birmingham, leading the midfield to defend the lead after putting the club ahead in the early going.

Cho joined Birmingham in September last year. She is one of two Koreans on the roster, alongside national team teammate Choe Yu-ri, who also started on Sunday.

A seasoned veteran midfielder, Cho, 35, is the most-capped Korean footballer of all time across all ages and both genders. She has 26 goals for Korea across 148 appearances, as well as an additional 21 appearances and three goals in youth teams.

After playing the best part of a decade in Korea with Suwon FC Women and the Hyundai Steel Red Angels, Cho’s career moved her first to Japan with INAC Kobe Leonessa and then to Norway with Avaldsnes.

She arrived in England in 2019, playing two years with West Ham and two years with Tottenham Hotspur before joining Birmingham last year.

Despite her experience, Cho’s club career has been plagued by injury. She only racked up 45 appearances over the four years in the Women’s Super League, failing to score a goal in competition for either West Ham or Spurs. Things appear to have turned around at Birmingham, where she’s now got one goal in two games.

Cho and Choe will soon have some company in Birmingham with Paik Seung-ho set to join the men’s team this week. Men’s team manager Tony Mowbray said Sunday that the deal is expected to be completed imminently.

Birmingham women will be back in action next Sunday as they take on Watford in the Championship.

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