The high school girls’ soccer team traveled to Camp Walker to participate in a triangular friendly competition against their crosstown rival Daegu Middle and High School (DMHS) and South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) rival, Busan Foreign School (BFS) on May 9. Against two powerful teams, they acquired one win and one loss.

Due to the deficiency of field space and time limitations, the girls had to share the full-sized pitch with the boys.

“Because they were using separators in the middle of the field, the ball didn’t even cross to the other side. The DMHS field, the main one, is super big, right? So it was no problem at all,” said Coach Faille. “Smaller goals though, that was the biggest difference. We had smaller goals, like the elementary one that we have here.”

The day opened with a matchup against DMHS, with the Jets seeking redemption after their blowout loss in the previous friendly. 

With Goalkeeper Victoria Kang (10) out from knee injuries shortly before the triangular, the coaches made last-minute substitutions to the formation: Ellen Cho (0) in the center back, Apple Jun (17) in the left back, Sally Yun (7) in the right back, Leewen Wang (1) in midfield, Mika Lee (77) and Christine An (47) as forwards, and Captain Minori Kojima (9) in the goal.

The Jets kicked off the first half with simple passes around the backline for a clean start. Despite the Warriors’ immediate pressure on the ball, the Jets made calm linkup plays in the defensive half. The team continued to circulate possession around the pitch, looking for pockets of space to attack.

The girls started out at a fast pace, but DMHS strikers pressed just as aggressively. The sustained pressure forced a mistake near goal and allowed the Warriors to win the ball. Although the game moved back-and-forth, Kojima (9) blocked off all paths to the net. After repeated efforts on the goal, though, the opponent striker slotted the ball home and secured a lead early in the match. (0:1)

Carrying the momentum, the Warriors pushed offensively for another point. Even though the Jets covered the holes in defense to solidify the backline, DMHS cut to the box and constantly moved around to find open space. The girls adjusted in turn to protect the goal, eating away at their stamina.

Just minutes before the end to the first half, the team’s intensity dropped and allowed a coordinated attack in the lower half of the pitch. DMHS dribbled to the last line of defense and beat the keeper with a low finish to widen the point differential. (0:2)

After a short recovery break, Coach Faille and Coach Gall made changes to the roster to mitigate the stamina drop with Kojima (9) still in the goal. With renewed vigor, the team switched into defense and tightened their formation. The first pass signaled the start of the second half and the forwards pressured the opponents right off the bat.

While the transition to the goal initially posed challenges, Kojima (9) adapted quickly to her new role and covered the goal comfortably in the later half. “So that half was a rough one. Minori was our center back or center mid, depending on the game. She played well with her feet. She knew what to do, so she was directing the team from the back,” said Coach Faille.

The Jets’ persistence against the warriors earned them a turnover. The strikers recycled the ball and built up an offensive play from the back and drove up the sideline for an attack opportunity. Although the opponent defenders blocked the play off short, the girls tirelessly attacked and attempted different tactics upfield.

Despite their determined efforts, neither side found the net and the score remained unchanged. Undeterred by a loss, they immediately began reviewing the game to prepare a stronger performance for their next and final matchup against BFS.

Their coaches made tweaks to the starting lineup for BFS and rotated Ellen Cho (0) into the goal for the first half. With a chance for redemption in the Korean International Schools Activities Conference (KISAC), the girls adapted to the field more quickly than the previous game and took control of the pitch at the opening whistle. Cho (0) transitioned to her role with ease and shut down all attempts to the goal.

Although the Jets demonstrated strong teamwork and won several headers to maintain possession, neither team broke through and the deadlock remained intact. The coaches shifted tactics in the second half and moved Lee (77) into goal, adjusting the formation accordingly. Despite several attempts at the goal, none found the net and the match stayed scoreless until the final minutes.

“From our goalie’s goal kick, passing forward and dribbling, and then doing the 1v1. As coaches, we request that the third zone of the field is the zone to do those individual plays, and they passed well to get to that zone, and Mary just got a shot, one touch,” said Coach Faille. (1:0)

The triangular concluded with one win and one loss for the Jets. The team put together strong performances to demonstrate remarkable progress throughout the season. They set their sights on a first-place finish at the SKAIS conference on May 30.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Beatrice Lee

Sophomore striker Mary Cho fires powerful shots across the field, helping her team take the lead. Cho's consistent strength and determination boost the team’s morale and contribute to victories.