Cho Mijin played in the Asian qualifiers as a converted midfielder The former striker finished as the team’s top scorer with five goals She aims to fire her side to glory at Uruguay 2018
For natural strikers, predatory instincts die hard. That can be the case even when the player concerned is handed a role that involves a great deal more than scoring goals. And Cho Mijin, captain of Korea Republic’s U-17 women's team, is a prime example.
Usually deployed upfront, Cho was handed a new role ahead of last September's AFC U-16 Women's Championship - which doubled up as the qualifying competition for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay. As the captain, she was asked by coach Hur Jungjae to play deeper as a midfielder to cover both attack and defence.
Despite this unexpected changing of roles, the converted midfielder - who scored nine times in four matches during previous stage of qualifying - excelled throughout in her new position. Aside from shoring up the team’s rearguard and providing vital leadership, she continued to showcase her knack for finding the net, finishing as the team's top scorer with five goals. Those strikes were crucial, too, as Korea Republic secured passage to Uruguay 2018 as tournament runners-up.
"I think I did well (in the new deeper role)," she told FIFA.com in a recent interview. "Our coach told me to focus on both ends of the pitch but my appetite for goalscoring remained sharp. And whatever role I played, I always tried my best."