Suwon: It had been nearly 20 years in the making, and Ji So-yun, widely regarded as South Korea's greatest female football player ever, finally won a title with the national team on Wednesday night. After South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 to clinch the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Women's Football Championship, Ji, who scored a 70th-minute penalty to open the scoring, ensured she would be the first to touch the trophy at Suwon World Cup Stadium, located about 30 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a football convention typically dictates that the team captain hoists the trophy in celebrations. However, even though Ji didn't wear the captain's armband this time, no one contested the 34-year-old veteran with 169 caps and 74 goals, both the highest in South Korean football history. "I came out of the match in the late minutes, and I told my teammates that I didn't want them to touch it first," Ji said with a smile. "I'd waited for this moment for 20 years. No one was going to dare put their hands on that trophy first. Luckily, it was already determined among younger players that veterans have their chance first."

Throughout her illustrious club career, Ji has collected numerous trophies, including six league titles and four Women's FA Cup titles with Chelsea FC Women. However, international titles had remained elusive until this victory. At the senior level, Ji previously secured three bronze medals at the Asian Games and had a runner-up finish at the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup. Ji, who debuted for the national team in 2006 as a 15-year-old, expressed that Wednesday's win made the long wait worthwhile. "I really want to pat myself on the back tonight for all the hardships and adversity I've overcome," Ji said. "I've done these celebrations a lot of times with my club teammates, but it was extra special to enjoy this with my fellow national team players. It'd be nice to keep doing this over and over again."

Ji was among a few veterans on the squad, which included many players with limited international experience. She hoped that the EAFF title would help the younger players take the next step. Despite scoring her penalty, Ji did not celebrate as she was dissatisfied with her team's performance up to that point. South Korea's chance to win the trophy emerged when Japan and China played to a goalless draw in the day's earlier match. Had Japan won, South Korea would have played an inconsequential match. Ji noted that her teammates got "too excited" over the Japan-China draw, affecting their first-half performance. "I tried to remind them that we have to stay composed and just play like we always have," Ji said. "I even yelled at them at halftime and said we weren't going to win it playing this way. I am sure the girls who never played with me before were pretty shocked with that outburst. At least we played better in the second half."

Ji initially hesitated to take the penalty but was compelled to do so when no one else volunteered. "When I asked if anyone felt confident enough to take the shot, no one answered. When I am no longer on the national team, someone will have to do it," Ji said. "Hopefully, we will see more takers for penalties and free kicks." When asked if she'd seen any teammate with potential during training, Ji humorously remarked, "They were all pretty bad."