It’s at least 30 degrees celsius with no cloud cover as the final of the High School (U18) division of this year’s Queen’s Cup kicks off at 17:20 on this muggy Friday evening. The venue is Hapcheon Citizens’ Sports Park, and a couple of pitches away the Universities league is also in full swing. On the adjacent field, a small stage awaits the winners of this showdown between defending champions Gwangyang Girls’ High School and Pohang Electronic Girls’ High School.
Along one side of the artificial pitch is a line of marquees populated by coaches, players and tournament staff, while on the opposite side are two small stands for spectators. Here parents, grandparents, and siblings are battling the heat with an arsenal of parasols, electric fans, and iced beverages. The weather is oppressive standing still on the sidelines, so it must be close to unbearable for the young players who have been running around in it every other day for almost two weeks on their way to the final.
In the U18 division, matches last 80 minutes. As the teams gradually settle into the game, they seem pretty evenly matched, and the score is 0-0 as the referee calls time for a cooling break at 20 minutes. Taking on water and words of wisdom from their coaches, the players return to the pitch with renewed enthusiasm. Gwangyang make their first substitution but it is Pohang who start to look more threatening towards the end of the first half. They fail to convert any of their chances and the match remains goalless at half time.
The atmosphere in the stands is a curious mix of pride, nervous excitement and warm familiarity. As more parents arrive, they are met with friendly greetings as people shuffle around to make room for them in the limited shaded area — these dedicated families are well practiced, having attended countless football matches and tournaments over the years. Every now and then, one of the dads starts up a cheer, and the rest follow along enthusiastically. A grandmother entertains a restless toddler, trying unsuccessfully to coax him into cheering for his older sister as she takes a throw-in right in front of them.
The second half starts, and Pohang are on the offensive. At 45’ a Gwangyang player gives away a foolish free kick just outside the box. Pohang’s Yang Sebin steps up to take it and curls the ball over the defence and towards the top corner of the goal. Gwangyang’s goalkeeper Kim Chaebin makes an excellent save, just managing to stop herself from stumbling backwards into the goal with the ball still in her hands.
Gwangyang’s Lee Seora makes a speedy run down the wing, trying to catch Pohang’s defence off guard, but they cut her off before she can put a cross into the box. Pohang seem to be getting closer to scoring, but Gwangyang’s keeper shows excellent judgment, confidently coming out of her goal when needed and making some crucial saves. As she quickly distributes the ball and Jeon Migyu makes rapid progress towards goal, finding space in the centre of the pitch, a parent in the Pohang camp mutters, “See, if we can’t finish, they’re going to catch us on the break.” His prophecy is immediately realised as Gwangyang have one of their best chances yet, but the defence manage to interfere with play just enough to slow it down so that Pohang goalie Woo Sumin can easily scoop up the ball as it rolls towards the goal.
After the second half cooling break, Pohang seem to lose some momentum, flagging in the heat, and Gwangyang are ready to pounce. At 69’ a Gwangyang corner is headed away but the ball ends up back in the box and after a short scuffle in front of the goal, Kim Hyowon finally finds the back of the net. The parents in the Gwangyang camp go wild.
There’s a sudden and tangible change in the atmosphere as both teams seem to realise that this is it — there are only ten minutes left on the clock. If Gwangyang can score again, they will surely seal the victory, and Pohang need a goal to have any chance at all. At 75’, a Yang Jimin goal gives them that chance. Pohang’s supporters are revitalised, and there’s a sense of urgency from both teams as they try to score a last-minute winner.
Gwangyang’s goalkeeper is kept busy in the final few minutes but the game is headed for twenty minutes of extra time. Gwangyang have the best opportunity with a direct free kick, but Pohang defend it successfully. As time ticks on, urgency turns to resignation as the parents mentally prepare for a penalty shootout. When the final whistle blows, somebody’s mother stands up. “Let’s go,” she says. “I can’t bear to watch,” but of course, she can’t bear to look away either.
The shootout is as tense as they come, with both goalkeepers performing under pressure so that the score is 3-2 as Kim Chaebin herself steps up to the spot for Gwangyang’s fifth attempt. The goalkeeper has to score to keep Gwangyang’s hopes alive, and she does, smashing the ball into the top corner easily. Park Chayeon comes forward to take Pohang’s sixth kick and scores it with style. Pohang goalie Woo Sumin knows that just one save will put an end to the shootout, the match, and the tournament, but she can’t get her hands on Beom Yeju’s powerful shot. Kim Chaebin gets one hand on Yang Jiyeon’s effort but it isn’t enough. Jung Ha-eun’s effort for Gwangyang has less pace on it than some of the other penalties we’ve seen, but Woo stumbles and can’t get to it in time. Pohang 23’s shot deflects of goalkeeper Kim’s hand and into the goal. She looks pained. Woo Sumin is once again in the unenviable position of knowing she can put an end to this nerve-wracking experience with just one more save.
This time, she does it, blocking the shot with her body, and falls to the ground as if in disbelief. The entire Pohang squad run towards the goal and throw themselves on top of her. The celebrations have barely started but the referee, almost apologetically, hurries the players off the pitch — the final of the Middle School (U15) division was scheduled to start nearly 20 minutes ago and the players are ready to go, lined up at the halfway line. As the U18 players shake hands with each other, there’s a changing of the guard in the stands. No sooner do one set of families stand up and clear out than another moves in, this time with drums and LED lights instead of parasols and fans, ready for the U15 final, an East Coast derby between Ulsan’s Hyundai Chungeun Middle School and Pohang’s Hangdo Middle School.
As Ulsan take an early 2-0 lead, on the adjacent field the high school students are receiving their awards. The tension of the penalty shootout has dissipated as the players have switched out of game mode and back to being regular kids, gleefully dousing the individual award winners with water and ice as they return from the stage. The managers and coaches are not exempted from this so-called ceremony and the players take delight in soaking them too. Trophies and medals are given to the winners and runners-up, photographs are taken, and then conversation among the crowd of parents turns to the venue for a celebratory meal. Nearby, students from Korea University and Daeduk University are warming up for their final match, the final game of this year’s Queen’s Cup.
Over on the pitch where they are set to play, Uiduk University are leading Daekyeung University by a goal to nil as their match reaches its final stages. The crowd here is a little thinner, with only the keenest supporters gathered in the tiny pitchside seating areas. Other spectators, perhaps driven away by the plague of lovebugs around the riverside pitch itself, look on from afar. There’s a clear difference in the style of play between the school-age teams and their seniors at the university level. The university students, a good number of whom are just months away from their first professional contracts, are more calm and confident in playing the ball out from the back, controlling play by slowing things down. There’s less of a sense of urgency in this round robin league format compared to the younger players’ all-or-nothing knockout tournaments. The more experienced players also much more communicative, constantly shouting directions and encouragement to one another.
Uiduk maintain their lead until the final whistle and, after a quick bow of appreciation to their respective supporters, both teams head to their team buses. By the side of the pitch, a group of middle school boys has appeared — it’s unclear whether they deliberately sought out the football or have ended up here by chance, as they initially seem to be more interested in the lovebugs. As the Uiduk supporters pack up to leave, one of them says, to nobody in particular, “but who will cheer for Korea University?” and the schoolboys, now bored of throwing live insects at each other and surprised to hear another match is about to start, step up. “We will!” they assure her, and they plop themselves down into the first row of seating. They are soon joined by a small band of Korea U family members, and between them, this unlikely group starts a series of enthusiastic chants.
Over a loudspeaker comes an announcement that the U15 awards presentation is about to begin — the final ended as a 3-0 victory for Ulsan’s Hyundai Chungeun Middle School. Awards are presented by various figures from the KWFF including newly appointed ambassadors Kim Youngkwang and Jeon Gaeul. Kim has even personally prepared a pair of custom gloves for each of the goalkeeping award recipients. He and Jeon have been present and vocal throughout the tournament, and their genuine passion and warm personalities are met with respect and awe from the young players. There’s one more surprise for the girls from Hyundai Chungeun Middle School after being presented with their trophy, as a representative from Nike presents them with an invitation to participate in the Nike Premier Cup, an international youth tournament set to be held in the USA next year. The players look a little shell-shocked at this news, as fatigue and the emotions of the tournament are setting in.
As the exhausted students celebrate and gradually disperse, the university league is coming to an end, with Korea University winning the final match to seal their place at the top of the table. The two teams head to the stage for their own awards ceremony as staff dismantle marquees and stack chairs around them. It’s cooled down a bit but it’s still warm and muggy in Hapcheon as the 33rd annual Queen’s National Women’s Football Championship finally draws to a close.
Players now have some downtime to recover from tournament madness — but not for long, as the National Women’s Football Championship will take place in Changnyeong later in the summer. There, too, we can expect to see plenty to be optimistic about, not only from the young athletes who represent the future of Korean women’s football, but also from the professionals themselves, as there is also a senior division at that tournament. All matches and highlights from this year’s Queen’s Cup are available to watch on YouTube via iTop21Sports — plenty to keep you occupied while the WK League season takes an extended summer break.
33rd Queen’s National Women’s Football Championship
| Division | Champions | Runners-up | 3rd place |
| University League | Korea University (Sejong) | Daeduk University (Daejeon) | Daekyeung University (Gyeongbuk) |
| High School (U18) | Pohang Electronic Girls’ H.S. (Gyeongbuk) | Gwangyang Girls’ H.S. (Jeonnam) | – |
| Middle School (U15) | Hyundai Chungeun M.S. (Ulsan) | Pohang Hangdo M.S. (Gyeongbuk) | – |
| Elementary School (U12) | Gwangyang Central E.S. (Jeonnam) | Pohang Sangdae E.S. (Gyeongbuk) | – |
Individual award winners
| Category | University League | High School (U18) | Middle School (U15) | Elementary School (U12) |
| MVP | Shin Yeji (Daeduk U) | Kim Yeji (Pohang) | Go Jieun (Ulsan) | Lee Ji-ye (Gwangyang) |
| Outstanding Player | – | Jung Migyu (Gwangyang) | Jang Bomin (Pohang) | Park Yeyeon (Pohang) |
| Top Goalscorer | Yang Eunseo (Korea U) | Hong Seoyoon (Gwangyang) | Lim Jihye (Ulsan) | – |
| Best Goalkeeper | Park Eojin (Korea U) | Woo Sumin (Pohang) | Lee Seungah (Ulsan) | Lim Hyowon (Gwangyang) |
| Best Defender | Kim Seyeon (Daeduk U) | An Soojeong (Gwangyang) | Moon Seohyun (Pohang) | Park Jiyul (Pohang) |
| Young Player Award | Han Minseo (Korea U) | Han Gukhee (Pohang) | Choi Minseo (Ulsan) | Son Mina (Gwangyang) |
| Best Manager | Shin Woogeun (Korea U) | Heo Mungon (Pohang) | Kim Kwangseok (Ulsan) | Son Baekgi (Gwangyang) |
| Best Coach | Park Jisung (Korea U) | Han Mingyu (Pohang) | Kim Deokyu (Ulsan) | Kim Hyeshin (Gwangyang) |
| Outstanding Manager | Go Moonhee (Daeduk U) | Kwon Youngin (Gwangyang) | Kim Youngbok (Pohang) | Kim Yoojun (Pohang) |
| Outstanding Coach | Chae Minhee (Daeduk U) Seo Hyebin (Daeduk U) | Lee Yerim (Pohang), Lee Seulgi (Gwangyang) | Kim Soo-in (Ulsan) Son Soohyun (Pohang) | Shin Sunmi (Pohang) |
| Best Referee | Cho Sooyoung | Jang Yeojin | Kim Chaehyun | Jung Minju |
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