South Korea federation receives financing

The South Korea Football Federation has received a donation of $3.5 million from the CEO of Hyundai Chung Mong-Gyu in order to sign a quality head coach.

Indeed the South Korean team has failed to reach the knock-out stage of the recent World Cup in Russia and Chung Mong-Gyu believes that the money might help the Federation sign a foreign coach that will help bring the national team forward.

The South Korea Football Federation has received a donation of $3.5 million from the CEO of Hyundai Chung Mong-Gyu in order to sign a quality head coach.

South Korea federation receives financing

With South Koreans fans rated as amongst the most enthusiastic on this site, with thousands of fans applying and searching for tickets for each game, it’s no wondre one of their fans has stepped forward to try and help create a better side – even though it is personally expensive for him.

Chung Mong-Gyu who is also the president of the South Korea Football Federation said that there need to be some changes if they want the team to progress and it is for this reason that he has made the donation from his own money. He hopes that this investment will help in the signing of a foreign manager that has the necessary knowledge to bring the team forward.

He said that they have already contacted some candidates and that it will take some time to sieve through the numerous candidates that have applied for the job. He said that South Korea has a great pool of players and that it will take a good manager to tap into this pool of talent and build a team that will allow them to compete at the highest level of world football.

South Korea will next participate in the Asian Cup where they finished second in 2015. They will be hoping that their new coach will be in place to help them compete in this tournament.

This will be a test of how the team has progressed after their disappointing performance at the World Cup. Chung Mong-Gyu said that he will personally invest himself in the search of a quality coach and will be hoping that this will help bring the team forward and allow them to win the Asian Cup.

NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA EASE TENSION AT OLYMPICS

North and South Korea eased the age-long tension between them at the Olympic Village.

The North sent a powerful delegation of 46 people to Pyeongchang County, which is in Gangwon Province in the South. The North Korean delegation had 22 athletes for the Olympic games and the national flag of North Korea was raised at the Olympic Village in Gangneung on Thursday. The North’s anthem was also played – something is banned on a normal occasion.

North and South Korea eased the age-long tension between them at the Olympic Village.

NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA EASE TENSION AT OLYMPICS

There was serious tension especially late last year over the nuclear intentions of the North amid support of the United States for the South and Japan, with a possible involvement of China in the fray. However, all the tensions are relaxed for the 2018 Pyeongchang winter Olympics. Both countries have agreed to march under a single flag at the opening ceremony of the event on Friday, according to reports.

Whilst they haven’t yet agreed to join forces on the football field (click here for the latest South Korea national football team fixtures & results), there is a joint ice hockey team with reps from both sides and ice skaters from both divides have been pictured together e.g. Alex Chan of the South and Ju Sik from the North. This is very different and surprising considering the recent tensions. It is very unlike the 1986 Asian Games and the Summer Olympics of 1988 which both held in the South Korean capital Seoul with the North boycotting both events.

It was rather nervy initially as the North was serious looking, as described by those present. However, they soon started clapping more vigorously and the all-female marching band started singing Korean folk songs. The North Korean started dancing on the streets and asked the Southerners to join them.

On Friday, it would be the height of it when both sides march under one flag at the opening ceremony. Well, that’s what the Olympics represent.

South Korea set a new clean sheet record

South Korea has set a new record when it comes to clean sheet when they beat Thailand 1-0 in a friendly match. This is now the eight matches in a row that South Korea has not conceded a goal and would want to continue it in their next game.

The previous record which stands at seven matches in a row was achieved twice in 1978 and 1989.

South Korea set a new clean sheet record

The previous record which stands at seven matches in a row was achieved twice in 1978 and 1989.

South Korea was due to play against Kuwait for their last Asian qualifiers match, but the game was cancelled because Kuwait has been suspended from all international competition.

South Korea were the bookies favourites with StanJames offering betting odds of just 1/5 on a South Korea victory.

Striker Suk Hyun-jun scored the only goal of the match in the 4th minute of the game. Koh Myong-jin found the striker with a precise pass and the latter fired a strong shot from outside the box. The Thailand’ goalkeeper did not stand a chance.

Thailand did have some chances to equalize. In the 20th minute, midfielder Kroekrit Thawikan missed an excellent opportunity when he received a precise cross from Adisak Kraisorn. Instead, it was South Korea that could have doubled the lead if only Lee Jeong-hyeop was more precise. Indeed, he headed Nam Tae-hee cross straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.

After the break, Thailand sent in some new players to try and change things up while South Korea changed their centre-back pairing. Thailand tried to equalize by playing long balls and focussing more on set-plays in order to make full use of their physical qualities. However, it was still South Korea that kept having the best opportunities.

Afterwards, it was the defence that took over and prevented Thailand from scoring, and close out the game at 1-0.

Indeed, this has become a frequent part of the South Korea games under Uli Stielike. In the last eight games, South Korea has scored 26 goals.

LAST CHANCE

South Korea will play their last friendly match before the start of the 2014 World Cup on May 28 as they play against Tunisia in Seoul and then will be leaving for the final training days in Florida only 2 days later.

The head coach of the team Hong Myung-Bo revealed that he plans on making his choices on who will be getting into the team before heading to Florida for the final round of overseas training.

“If I make the cut midway through training, it could have a negative impact on team spirit, so I plan to decide the final entries before our training in Florida,” Hong Myung- Bo said.

Ecuador, England, Honduras and Spain also have plans on practicing and having training camps in Florida before the start of the 2014 World Cup but South Korea is also planning on having a few last friendly matches with a team that has a similar playing style like Russia.

Russia is the 1st team that South Korea has to face off when the World Cup initiates in Brazil. FIFA establishes all the teams to arrive to their respective base camp, 5 days before the 1st match starts and South Korea has plans of staying in Florida for as long as possible. South Korea will play Russia on June 17, Algeria on June 22 and Belgium on June 26.

South Korea suffered a 4-0 loss against Mexico and a few days later they played against USA at the Stubhub Center and 2 goals from Chris Wondolowski saw the Americans claiming a 2-0 triumph. South Korea wants to avoid any more losses and this is why they will be training in Florida for as long as possible before travelling to Brazil where the World Cup will kick off.

PARK RETURN?

Former South Korean international Park Ji sung has said that he has no chance of being in the World Cup 2014 despite rumours that he could be persuaded by the South Korean manager to come out of retirement.

Park Ji sung has been one of the best players for the national team for the last decade, but he has recently been on the decline. After leaving Manchester United a few years ago, he has now returned to Dutch football after a poor spell at QPR. He is now back at club PSV Eindhoven where he made his name.

South Korea have qualified for the World Cup and will be hoping to do well at this tournament. Their national team manager, Hong Myung-Bo has been saying that he will try and persuade Park out of retirement since he will be a major addition to the squad in terms of experience. Myung-Bo said that the national team was devoid of experienced players and it is time to introduce some of them to balance the team. Park, though, has confirmed that there is a 0% chance of featuring for the national team again.

South Korea have a good chance of reaching the knockout stages since they face a relatively easy group that is devoid of the big teams like Spain and Italy. Only Belgium are regarded as the favourites to win the group

“There has been no possibility for me to come back to the national team. I can definitely say it’s 0%. I’m glad and thankful that the national team coach wants me back three years after retirement. But I cannot even imagine taking a place instead of a player who did his best for World Cup qualification. I want the [South] Korea national team to focus on the World Cup and I don’t want to have any influence on that,” said Park.

GOOD PERFORMANCE

South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo has revealed that he is happy with the performance of his players despite his team suffering a 2-1 defeat against Russia in a friendly match. This defeat means that South Korea have managed just four wins since July of this year.

This run of matches will undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on Hong Myung-bo, but he is staying confident. The match started in the best possible fashion for Korea after they took the lead in the sixth minute through Shin-Wook Kim.

Russia, however, demonstrated the kind of quality that has seen them automatically qualify for the World Cup 2014 despite being in a very tough group, by coming back with a lot of strength. They did not take long to equalise after Smolov scored in the 12th minute. The winner, though, took a little longer to come about, but it finally came in the second half through Tarasov. Hong Myung-bo has been the coach of South Korea since June and during this period they have managed just three victories, which will undoubtedly ask questions about his quality.

Korea finished second in the qualifying group – two points behind Iran after their defeat to the table leaders in the final group match. They are not expected to be a force at the World Cup.

“I am satisfied with the team’s current style of play. The most important thing is that the players have learned how to take control of a game,” said the manager after the match. Hong has revealed that the last 10 matches have helped him know his starting 11, which will come good in Brazil 2014. Scoring goals has been a major problem for South Korea, but Hong believes that they will be able to find their feet after playing a few matches together.

PARK SHOULD MOVE

South Korean national team manager Myung-Bo Hong has said that Arsenal player Park Chu-young should decide to move away from the club and find a new club immediately if he is to feature for the national team in the World Cup.

Park Chu-young was a high-profile signing for Arsenal in 2011, but many predicted that he was brought into the club only to sell more shirts in Asia. It has proven to be right because he has rarely featured for the Arsenal first team. He is regarded as the country’s number one striker, which has put Hong in a difficult position.

He stated recently that Park Chu-young must find a new club immediately where he can play regular football. This is unlikely to be a problem for new Borussia Dortmund signing Son Heung-min. The 21-year-old moved to the German club for $ 15 million and he is expected to play a key role for the former champions. They had a lot of success with another Asian in the form of Shinji Kagawa a few years ago. Now, he will be hoping to replicate the success. Son Heung-min has said that he is already looking forward to playing in the Bundesliga, which he regards as one of the best leagues in the world.

Son Heung-min is also looking to make his impact in the Champions league as well. “I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga and Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me. Both teams play in the Champions League but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen. That’s why I chose Leverkusen. It’s really important to play regularly at my age,” said the 21-year-old attacking midfielder ahead of the new season. Korea are currently second in their World Cup qualifying group, but they are only two points behind the leaders Iran.

Chelsea in the Premier League

Chelsea are the popular choice among punters for the Premier League title as fans reminisce on Jose Mourinho’s former successes and believe the Special One – or Happy One, as he now likes to be known – is ready to do it all again. Mourinho won two titles plus the FA Cup during his reign at Stamford Bridge and few fans doubt he doesn’t have the ability and resources to repeat these feats.

However, the resurgence of Manchester City means the Blues are likely to find their title challenge tough next season, while both Arsenal and Manchester United are set to strengthen before the transfer window is out. City look ready once again after Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival blew the cobwebs away from an Etihad Stadium that staged an indifferent season last term. Now, with a new manager and fresh players coming into the squad City are a good shout to win the league.

The same can be said of United and Arsenal but fans should wait to see their transfer dealings this summer before placing a bet. Indeed, sports betting in preseason is a lot like playing in the online casino. You don’t just go head-on into a game but instead consider what you like, maybe play the demo versions and then go for real money. Equally, betting on Chelsea to win the league at this stage is risky because we haven’t seen this team in competitive action yet.

The best thing to do is wait until September to bet on the football, for the big teams will then have had chance to impress in competition. Instead, playing the online slots, such as the popular sports arcade Game On, is a great way to while away the afternoons until the season begins.

The slots boast all the tension found at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford on derby day and there’s big money to be won if you strike lucky.

QUARTER FINALS

South Korea has made its way into the quarter final round of the U-20 World Cup by defeating Colombia in a nail biting encounter yesterday at Huseyin Avni Aker Stadium. The match got decided through penalty shootouts.

It was really one cracker of a contest. Both the teams put in 100% effort on the ground and provided some great entertainment to the spectators who were out there in the stadium.

At the start of the game, it was Colombia which was looking more aggressive. They were making some good moves and in the 11th minute, they had an opportunity to get ahead. But, the South Korean goalie Lee Chang-Keun didn’t let that happen. With a fine save diving towards his right, he denied Colombia from taking the lead.

Just five minutes later, South Korea opened the scoring against the run of play courtesy of a fabulous strike by Joo-Hoon Song. That goal put some extra pressure on the Colombians. They started looking desperate on the ground.
Colombia came close to equalizing a couple of times in the remaining time of the first half, but, on each of those occasions, they got the placement wrong and the South Korean goalie stopped the ball.

Colombia continued to attack in the second half as well, but, the equalizer wasn’t coming. The Colombian players were finding it tough to slot the ball past the South Korean goalie. Eventually, they managed to do it in the 89th minute, but, the ball came back after hitting the cross bar and the score remained 1-0.

Somehow, in the last minute of the stoppage time, Juan Fernando Quintero scored the equalizer for Colombia and dragged the match into the extra time.

There were no goals scored in the extra time which meant that the game would be decided through shootouts.
Both the teams got their respective first shots right. But, in the second round, both of them missed the target. The culprit for South Korea was Joo-Hoon Song, while, for Argentina, it was Felipe Aguilar.

The next 11 shots were just nailed and in the 8th round of penalties, South Korea was leading by 8-7. The defender of Colombia, Deivy Balanta, missed his next shot and the game was over.

IRAN LOSS

South Korea recently suffered a 1-0 defeat against Iran in the World Cup qualifying, which threatened to derail their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. However, they managed to get their campaign back on track with a 2-1 win over Qatar on Tuesday night.

There was a lot of pressure on the South Korea manager Kang-Hee Choi after the team had managed no wins in the last four matches. This includes two World Cup qualifying matches without a victory. However, this win over Qatar means that they are just one point behind leaders Uzbekistan.

Further, South Korea have a game in hand over Uzbekistan. As a result, Kang-Hee Choi has said that he is extremely confident that they can qualify comfortably for the World Cup. However, the result could have been extremely different had it not been for the late goal from Heung-Min Son. South Korea had taken the lead in the second half through a goal from Keun-Ho Lee in the 60th minute. However, it did not take long for Qatar to equalise the match, as Khalfan Ibrahim’s goal in the 64th minute meant that they were back on level terms.

Son has been in great form for the German club Hamburg this season. He has scored nine goals for the club, and the South Korea manager praised his goal. “I didn’t give Son Heung-min much time but he only needed a short time to show we he can do. It was a dramatic victory. Our players kept going right until the end and were rewarded with victory. We know what we have to do to get to the World Cup and our desire to get there is strong. There were five minutes of extra time but they gave six and it was a mistake,” said Korea coach Choi Kang-hee.