AFC Women's Asian Cup - Son steps up in style for Korea Republic

Sydney: Son Hwa-yeon answered the call emphatically when needed as she sparked Korea Republic to a 6-0 win against Uzbekistan in their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ quarter-final on Saturday.

Originally listed as a substitute, Son had to start after Jeon Yu-gyeong suffered an injury in the warm-up, with the former opening the scoring in the ninth minute as Korea Republic not only advanced to the semi-finals but also booked their place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.

“Whether the players are starting or on the bench, every single one of us is ready to contribute,” said Son. “So while it was a surprise, I was ready to go and the team was ready as well, as the result showed.

“It has been a long time since I last got a call-up to the national team because I have had injuries, so when I was able to score that goal, it was really an emotional moment for me.”

This is the third AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the 28-year-old, with varying experiences.

At just 20 years of age at the 2018 edition, Son was on the bench for all five matches as Korea Republic’s tournament ended in the group stage.

At India 2022, Son was a first-choice - starting all six matches and scoring in the semi-final win against the Philippines as Korea Republic emerged runners-up.

This time around, she has to share attacking duties with the up-and-coming Jeon and the Gangjin WFC player already focused on the semi-final against either Japan or the Philippines.

“The fact that we won has really made all of us happy but since we have another match, we have to now start preparing even harder.”

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