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.

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.

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.

TOUGH RUN

South Korea have been going under a tough run of form, which has raised questions about the manager Choi Kang-hee. Korea have qualified for the World Cup in the last seven consecutive occasions.

However, they are in danger of failing to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil due to a bad run of form, which has seen them go without a victory in the last four matches. Even though two of them have been friendly matches against Australia and Croatia, there has been a lot of scepticism about the quality of the team.

South Korea have been going under a tough run of form, which has raised questions about the manager Choi Kang-hee. Korea have qualified for the World Cup in the last seven consecutive occasions.

However, they are in danger of failing to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil due to a bad run of form, which has seen them go without a victory in the last four matches. Even though two of them have been friendly matches against Australia and Croatia, there has been a lot of scepticism about the quality of the team.

The recent 4-0 defeat at the hands of Croatia is the main reason for the worry amongst the Korean fans. The country are currently second in the qualification rounds. The recent 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan has meant that they were unable to lead the table.

In the last two rounds of the FIFA World Cup, South Korea have managed to qualify with games to spare. However, there is feeling amongst the Korean fans that it will not be the case this time around. The team will be playing against Qatar in March in a World Cup qualifying match, which will be key to the future of the team at the World Cup.

“It was a clear defeat. But I am not going to over-react after just one game. We will build on our experience from today’s match and earlier games to try and develop more cohesion. Our upcoming opponents will play more defensive games than Croatia and we have to find our offensive combination. This is an important problem with four games left in qualification. It is something that we have to keep working on in order to get right and we will do that,” said a

AUSSIE FRIENDLY

Australia will be taking on South Korea in a friendly match on Wednesday night at Hwaseong. The Australian national team manager Holger Osieck has said that it will be an extremely important match for both teams given that it helps them gauge the level of performance against a very good opposition.

Australia will be taking on South Korea in a friendly match on Wednesday night at Hwaseong. The Australian national team manager Holger Osieck has said that it will be an extremely important match for both teams given that it helps them gauge the level of performance against a very good opposition.

Australia and South Korea are two of the favourite teams to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Despite this, they will be utilising a number of young players for the friendly match, but it will be a good measurement tool to know the level of both teams according to Holger Osieck.

Prior to this match, Oman will be taking on Japan in the group match while Iran will be taking on Uzbekistan in another group match. Due to the timing of both these matches, both Australia and South Korea could be in the second position in the respective groups by the start of this encounter. Osieck has also said that his counterpart Kang-Hee has been doing extremely well with the South Korean national team and he deserves a lot of respect. Kang-Hee has also done extremely well in his previous jobs according to Osieck, who is expecting a very tough match ahead.

“This time, Australia will bring in new players because we have to plan for the future as well so I expect of course a very difficult game because the Korean players have a lot of talent. It’s definitely always better to have all the players together for a few more days but it doesn’t happen this time. Tomorrow is a very good opportunity for both teams to test because we are both in a very similar situation, we are both second in our World Cup qualifying group,” said Osieck ahead of the match.

PARK IS STAYING AT QPR

The QPR owner Tony Fernandes has issued a statement publicly backing the underfire midfielder Park Ji sung, who has come under criticism of late following a string of poor performances.

The QPR owner Tony Fernandes has issued a statement publicly backing the underfire midfielder Park Ji sung, who has come under criticism of late following a string of poor performances.

The 31-year-old South Korean midfielder was signed in the summer from Manchester United and he is one of the highest earning players within the club. However, his performances this season have been extremely poor, but they will improve according to the owner. Tony Fernandes and Mark Hughes were extremely keen on bringing the South Korean midfielder to add some quality to the team that finished just above the relegation zone last season.

There have also been suggestions that QPR will entertain bids from other clubs for the sale of Park Ji sung. Tony Fernandes has also rejected such speculation by saying that the South Korean midfielder is at the club for the long haul. After finishing the last season in disastrous fashion, they have not made any significant progress despite the arrival of numerous high quality players. They are currently without a win in the Premier league and the pressure on the manager Mark Hughes is mounting. QPR are currently bottom of the Premier league as a result of their winless start.

“It’s a new experience for him in that he’s never played so much. He also has to adjust to new players. I am not the sort of person that’s going to write people off after six or seven games,” said the QPR owner Tony Fernandes. The future of the manager Mark Hughes has also been speculated a lot, but Tony Fernandes has so far backed the man who replaced Neil Warnock midway through last season. Despite spending vast sums of money, Mark Hughes is yet to make progress in the league this season. The most credible result came in the 0-0 draw with Chelsea.

COOK BACKS PARK

The former Hoops midfielder Lee Cook has suggested that the QPR midfielder Park Ji sung has not been performing well for the London club since moving from Manchester United in the summer. He has also criticised the South Korean midfielder for moving to the capital for one final payday more than anything else.

The former Hoops midfielder Lee Cook has suggested that the QPR midfielder Park Ji sung has not been performing well for the London club since moving from Manchester United in the summer. He has also criticised the South Korean midfielder for moving to the capital for one final payday more than anything else.

The 31-year-old has played very little football for Manchester United over the last two seasons, but was an extremely integral part of the club prior to that. The South Korean was finally sold to the London club QPR for around £ 2 million in the summer. He has been made captain of the QPR team by the manager Mark Hughes.

However, the club has had a lot of problems in the first few matches of the campaign. Despite spending a lot of money on high profile players over the summer, they have certainly not improved are currently bottom of the Premier league table with only two points. A lot of fingers have been pointing to the manager Mark Hughes for the poor results, but the former Hoops midfielder Lee Cook believes that players like Park Ji sung should take more responsibility and not just concentrate on picking up the wages.

“Every time I saw Park at United, he was a workhorse. For me, he doesn’t seem to be working as hard as he did there. People I know think a few of them are there for a pay-day. At halfway through the season, you will be able to tell whether this is true or not. ‘I don’t think Tony Fernandes will muck about. When it was Neil Warnock’s time to go it was “see you later” – he didn’t hold back. Just because it’s Mark Hughes and a big name it means nothing,” said Lee Cook in a recent interview.

GIVE HIM HIS MEDAL

The South Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo is of the opinion that Park Jong-woo should be allowed to get his bronze medal as a result of South Korea lifting the medal at the London Olympics 2012 football tournament.

The South Korean national team was not one of the favourites to win the gold medal, but they did well at the competition to lift the bronze medal. However, the player Park Jong-woo has not been allowed to receive his medal by the country after he voiced his opinions about the territorial problems between South Korea and Japan.

The South Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo is of the opinion that Park Jong-woo should be allowed to get his bronze medal as a result of South Korea lifting the medal at the London Olympics 2012 football tournament.

The South Korean national team was not one of the favourites to win the gold medal, but they did well at the competition to lift the bronze medal. However, the player Park Jong-woo has not been allowed to receive his medal by the country after he voiced his opinions about the territorial problems between South Korea and Japan.

The manager of the national team, though, is of the opinion that he should be allowed to receive the medal because he has been extremely influential in helping the team win the bronze medal. South Korea where taking on Japan in the bronze medal match at the London Olympics. They managed to defeated Japan 2-0 in the match. However, the officials of the Olympics tournament has said that the player will not be eligible to receive the award after his public opinion about the territorial dispute between Japan and South Korea that has been creating a lot of problems in the region.

“He was as big a contributor to the team as anyone. As far as I am concerned, he is a well-deserving bronze medalist. That should have been his moment to remember, and he never got that chance. When I heard the KOC decided not to let Park attend these events, I was very disappointed. I personally called him and told him to come. It was the least I could do as his coach,” said the manager of the national team after the decision by the Olympics officials. Hong Myung-bo was the captain of the national team that surprised everyone at the 2002 World Cup.

MORE ADVENTUROUS

South Korea national team manager Choi Kang-Hee has said that his team should play a little more adventurous football when they take on Lebanon in the second World Cup qualifying match in Goyang.

South Korea managed a very convincing 4-1 win over Qatar. As a result, they have gained strong foothold in the final qualification round. However, manager Choi Kang-Hee has said that the game against Lebanon will certainly not be as easy as the match against Qatar given that they are likely to play on the counter-attack and defend a lot.

South Korea national team manager Choi Kang-Hee has said that his team should play a little more adventurous football when they take on Lebanon in the second World Cup qualifying match in Goyang.

South Korea managed a very convincing 4-1 win over Qatar. As a result, they have gained strong foothold in the final qualification round. However, manager Choi Kang-Hee has said that the game against Lebanon will certainly not be as easy as the match against Qatar given that they are likely to play on the counter-attack and defend a lot.

As a result, the team should be more creative when they take on Lebanon if they are to get all three points. Another three points against Lebanon would make South Korea one of the favourites to make it into the 2014 FIFA World Cup to face off against the likes of Jack Wilshere and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the fact that there is still a long way to go.

In order to play adventurous football, a lot will be depending upon the service provided by Lee Keun-Ho and Kim Bo-Kyung in the match. Both these players have been touted as the next big thing in South Korea, and manager Choi Kang-Hee is hoping that they deliver a performance fitting of that status.

“I’ve experienced defensive opponents and it’s really difficult to beat them. We have to be more adventurous but careful of counter attack. What we need is a goal and three points. We’ll focus on this. It’s also important not to allow them to counter-attack, while we should try to break down their defence through set-pieces and shots from distance. We’ve got some good wide players as well, so we’ll be able to beat them if we play our own football,” Choi said. “I made two assists against Qatar but it was disappointing not to score. I want to score against Lebanon,” Kim said.

CHU-YOUNG LEFT OUT

The South Korean national football team will not be featuring Arsenal striker Park Chu-Young for the next three matches against Spain, Lebanon, and Qatar.

The South Korean national football team will not be featuring Arsenal striker Park Chu-Young for the next three matches against Spain, Lebanon, and Qatar.

The striker has been left in limbo over the military service issue, which continues to rumble on. The 26 man for the South Korean national football team that will face the aforementioned three national teams was announced recently with the biggest omission come in the form of Arsenal striker Park Chu-Young. It was initially thought that he would play a major role in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, but it now seems unlikely that he will be taking part in it.

South Koreans are expected to serve the military irrespective of their position, but Arsenal striker Park Chu-Young decided to get a 10 year residency visa at Monaco, which will now not require him the need to serve the military. The 26-year-old was not seen anywhere near the announcement area and his current status is unknown.

Choi Kang-Hee has said that focus should be not on the players who will not be involved in the matches, but on those who will be playing against Spain and Lebanon. He also said that a number of European based players will be participating in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“I think he should publicise his thoughts clearly. A national team must take into account not only an individual player’s capability but the atmosphere of the whole team.

What is important is whether a player is willing to sacrifice for the team and whether he has pride in his team,” said Choi Kang-Hee after the announcement of the 26 man squad that did not feature the Arsenal striker. Celtic’s Ki Sung-Yueng is one of the big names being included in the squad that will take on Spain in the first of the three friendlies.

SOUTH KOREA MAKE NEXT STAGE

South Korea managed to booked their place in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers after securing a 2-0 win over Kuwait recently.

Saudi Arabia – who are currently managed by former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, though, were not as lucky as South Korea, as they failed to progress into the next round. South Korea have become one of the major sides in the world right now.

South Korea managed to booked their place in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers after securing a 2-0 win over Kuwait recently.

Saudi Arabia – who are currently managed by former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, though, were not as lucky as South Korea, as they failed to progress into the next round. South Korea have become one of the major sides in the world right now.

It would have been a major story if they had crashed out of the World Cup at this preliminary stage. The World Cup qualifiers for the Asian teams have begun already. South Korea made it into the semifinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup under the guidance of former Chelsea manager Hiddink.

They will be attempting to do that once again with the new team. Players like the Manchester United midfielder Park Ji sung are expected to be the main weapons for South Korea at this international stage.

However, it remains to be seen if Park Ji sung will be willing to play for the South Korean national team at the 2014 World Cup, as he has already said that he would like to focus on his club career. South Korea came into the match against Kuwait knowing that they could go out of the World Cup at this early stage with a defeat, but they performed admirably in the second half to secure their passage into the next round of qualifications.

The next round of the World Cup qualifiers will be taking place in June. South Korea will be part of the many teams that will take part in this round. This includes teams like China, Australia, Bahrain, and Iraq. Japan lost in the latest round of qualifiers, but their passage into the next round has already been assured.