Hong Comes Home
After 135 caps, and spells in charge of the Under-20 and Under-23 national teams, Hong Myong-bo is now the head coach of the South Korean senior side. The charismatic captain of the 2002 semi-final reaching squad, the ex-defender was always going to become the main man, it was just a question of when.
It is now. He has a lot of work to do. With less than a year to the World Cup he has to take a team that struggled and stumbled along the road to Brazil and turn it into a Taeguk Warriors machine that can get past the group stage in South America. Fans believe and the KFA hopes that he can do it. After all, he led the Under-20s to the last eight at the 2009 World Cup and more famously, brought home the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.
Choi goes home
After 18 months of mild torture, some for the fans but mostly for the man himself, Choi Kang-hee has returned to his true love Jeonbuk Motors. The former international defender was appointed under duress in December 2011 and always planned to return to Jeonju at the end of qualification. That was achieved on June 18 by the narrowest of goal difference margins. Fans were not sorry to see Choi leave and the KFA made no effort to persuade him otherwise. The football had not been great and the results were just enough. In the end, both sides were relieved to part ways.
He returned to a Jeonbuk team struggling. The team’s previous two games had seen a remarkable 4-1 defeat suffered at home to the low-scoring Busan I’Park and then came a wild 5-4 loss at rivals Suwon. Choi had planned a week’s holiday after the end of his national team contract but decided he was needed as soon as possible. Fans and players were happy to see him and the team responded with a thumping 4-0 win over Gyeongnam.
Tight at the top
At the end of June, six points separate the top six teams in the K-League Classic. Pohang Steelers had threatened to pull away but have dropped eight points from the last 15 – nothing to worry about too much but a source of frustration for the three-time continental champions. Ulsan Horang-I are second and looking good. The Tigers are in good form and welcoming players back from injury such as Brazilian goalgetter Rafinha. With Kim Shin-wook finding the net of a regular basis and the defence usually - apart from a recent 5-3 loss to lowly Daegu - is pretty solid.
Incheon United have been the surprise package of the season and currently sit in third. Young stars such as Lee Seok-hoon have impressed. Lee scored both goals in the recent win over Pohang Steelers, the winner a spectacular 25 yarder that flew past the goalkeeper. Lee 2002 midfielder Kim Nam-il has been a steady presence with another veteran Lee Chun-soo coming back to Korean football and performing solidly. If Lee can recreate his form circa 2005 to 2007 then Incheon really will fancy their chances of a top three finish. Especially as FC Seoul and Suwon Bluewings are more inconsistent that the runny tofu so beloved in Korea. Seoul recovered, of a sort, from a very poor start but all is not well. The team is predictable and with star striker Dejan Damjanovic, was lacking of ideas in a recent defeat against Ulsan.
Suwon have won just one of the last six and have a number of injuries and there are rumours that overseas players could be on their way with Stevica Ristic set to head to pastures new, probably in China. There are uncertain times.
Battle at the Bottom
Daejeon Citizen and Daegu FC are rooted to the bottom. Daejeon look to be in serious trouble with no wins in eleven and the club looking lost. New coach Kim In-wan has not got any kind of grip on the job and fans are understandably growing restless. Daegu are in slightly better shape and at least seem to be playing a little better from earlier in the season. The club have some decent attacking talent.
Gangwon FC are doing their utmost to pull away. Kim Hak-beom’s men have been playing well at various times all season but have not often got the points deserved in return. That all changed at the end of June with a vital 2-1 win over Suwon. It could be a turning point.
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Selasa, 02 Juli 2013
Minggu, 05 Mei 2013
Struggles of the Seoul in Korea
The K League Classic season is now fully into its stride. Races for the title and to avoid the drop are now emerging. Fans can settle down and watch all the action unfold.
The story of the season is still FC Seoul. The defending champions went seven games without a win, then grabbed two successive victories, qualified for the second round of the Asian Champions League at a canter and then lost to ten-man Jeonbuk Motors.
It is more bad than good. The success in Asia came in a group that was underwhelming. The two victories came against Daegu and Gangwon at home -these are two teams that occupy the bottom spots of the league and have yet to win a game between them. Seoul have collected just one point on the road this season. The title is still not out of the question but there is now no room for error.
So what’s changed since last season? Well, nothing really and that’s the problem. The team, is pretty much the same, the coach is the same and the tactics are the same. What has changed has been the form of goalkeeper Kim Yong-dae, who has made some real clangers, and the defence which has struggled against anything mildly physical. And when you have the rest of league knowing that if you can stop the ‘Demolition Duo’, Dejan Damjanovic and Mauricio Molina, then you can get a good result.
Pohang Steelers are going well at the top despite a small squad and no foreign players to have a touch of flair to the line-up. Despite a lack of prolific strikers, the Steelers are three points clear at the top as they are well-organised and have a classy midfield with the likes of rising star Lee Myung-joo and the two Hwangs – Ji-soo and Jin-sung.
Jeju United are going solidly, not pulling up trees but slowly keeping the points total ticking over. Hamstrung by a number of injuries at the start of the season, the islanders are slowly building a decent squad. Their starting eleven does not yet have the quality of some of their rivals but nobody relishes a trip to the picturesque Jeju World Cup Stadium.
After a poor start to the season, Seongnam recovered in dramatic fashion by picking up successive wins against champions FC Seoul, Asian Champions Ulsan and 2012 runners-up Jeonbuk. Kim Dong-seob produced some mesmerising football in attack to score four goals and give fans of the Yellows hope for the season.
At The Bottom
It is common to see Daegu near the bottom although last season was an exception. That was under the stewardship of Moacir Pereria whose first season ended with a tenth place finish. Deagu may regret letting the Brazilian go, saying that he and coaching staff were too expensive. After eight games without a win, Baek Jong-chul replaced Dang Seong-jeung. Daegu have collected just a single point in the two games since but have at least stemmed the flood of goals that were leaking out of defence.
Seoul are only five points above the drop zone while Gyeongnam are only four. The Changwon team have lost just twice but have won only once. Lacking ruthlessness in front of goal, Gyeongnam need to start picking up points or a surprise relegation fight is on the cards.
Mixed bag in Asia
As mentioned above, Seoul strolled through their group to finish first and book a second round clash with Beijing Gouan. Jeonbuk Motors were not quite as smooth but collected a point at Guangzhou Evergrande to finish second behind the Chinese champions and will face Kashiwa Reysol of Japan.
Pohang missed out and were left to regret their decision to send a full reserve team to Bunyodkor in the second match though the Steelers don’t really have the squad to compete at home and abroad. But Suwon were truly poor.
The Bluewings failed to win a single game and only scored in two. The nadir was a 6-2 defeat at home to Kashiwa. Suwon were awarded no less than four penalties and proceeded to miss three of them. Interestingly, or painfully if you are a fan, within seconds of all four spot kicks being taken, the Japanese team went down the other end and scored. A master-class of attacking or defending, it was not.
The story of the season is still FC Seoul. The defending champions went seven games without a win, then grabbed two successive victories, qualified for the second round of the Asian Champions League at a canter and then lost to ten-man Jeonbuk Motors.
It is more bad than good. The success in Asia came in a group that was underwhelming. The two victories came against Daegu and Gangwon at home -these are two teams that occupy the bottom spots of the league and have yet to win a game between them. Seoul have collected just one point on the road this season. The title is still not out of the question but there is now no room for error.
So what’s changed since last season? Well, nothing really and that’s the problem. The team, is pretty much the same, the coach is the same and the tactics are the same. What has changed has been the form of goalkeeper Kim Yong-dae, who has made some real clangers, and the defence which has struggled against anything mildly physical. And when you have the rest of league knowing that if you can stop the ‘Demolition Duo’, Dejan Damjanovic and Mauricio Molina, then you can get a good result.
Pohang Steelers are going well at the top despite a small squad and no foreign players to have a touch of flair to the line-up. Despite a lack of prolific strikers, the Steelers are three points clear at the top as they are well-organised and have a classy midfield with the likes of rising star Lee Myung-joo and the two Hwangs – Ji-soo and Jin-sung.
Jeju United are going solidly, not pulling up trees but slowly keeping the points total ticking over. Hamstrung by a number of injuries at the start of the season, the islanders are slowly building a decent squad. Their starting eleven does not yet have the quality of some of their rivals but nobody relishes a trip to the picturesque Jeju World Cup Stadium.
After a poor start to the season, Seongnam recovered in dramatic fashion by picking up successive wins against champions FC Seoul, Asian Champions Ulsan and 2012 runners-up Jeonbuk. Kim Dong-seob produced some mesmerising football in attack to score four goals and give fans of the Yellows hope for the season.
At The Bottom
It is common to see Daegu near the bottom although last season was an exception. That was under the stewardship of Moacir Pereria whose first season ended with a tenth place finish. Deagu may regret letting the Brazilian go, saying that he and coaching staff were too expensive. After eight games without a win, Baek Jong-chul replaced Dang Seong-jeung. Daegu have collected just a single point in the two games since but have at least stemmed the flood of goals that were leaking out of defence.
Seoul are only five points above the drop zone while Gyeongnam are only four. The Changwon team have lost just twice but have won only once. Lacking ruthlessness in front of goal, Gyeongnam need to start picking up points or a surprise relegation fight is on the cards.
Mixed bag in Asia
As mentioned above, Seoul strolled through their group to finish first and book a second round clash with Beijing Gouan. Jeonbuk Motors were not quite as smooth but collected a point at Guangzhou Evergrande to finish second behind the Chinese champions and will face Kashiwa Reysol of Japan.
Pohang missed out and were left to regret their decision to send a full reserve team to Bunyodkor in the second match though the Steelers don’t really have the squad to compete at home and abroad. But Suwon were truly poor.
The Bluewings failed to win a single game and only scored in two. The nadir was a 6-2 defeat at home to Kashiwa. Suwon were awarded no less than four penalties and proceeded to miss three of them. Interestingly, or painfully if you are a fan, within seconds of all four spot kicks being taken, the Japanese team went down the other end and scored. A master-class of attacking or defending, it was not.
Selasa, 23 Oktober 2012
Seoul set for K-League success
Who can stop the Demolition Duo? Nobody so far this season and time is running out. Dejan Damjanovic and Mauricio Molina have spearheaded FC Seoul’s frontline to devastating effect in 2012 and with eight games remaining; the club is seven points clear of Jeonbuk in second. With the two meeting at Jeonju World Cup Stadium this weekend, the feeling is that if the Motors don’t take maximum points, then the title race is going to grind to a halt.
Damjanovic was at it again last weekend as Seoul picked up three points as the always tricky away trip to jeju United. The Montenegrin got both goals in that 2-1 victory, numbers 26 and 27 of the season. He has already broken the total goalscoring record for a foreigner that stood at 116. Molina, has contributed 17 himself, and his all-round play has created plenty for others.
Coach Choi Yong-soo has been criticized in some quarters for relying too much of the pair but when they are in such blistering form, he is not about to change now. 12 wins from the last 15 games shows that the team are on track for a second title.
Jeonbuk have managed to keep pace, kind of, in second partly thanks to some generous refereeing. Of late, the Motors have often had the luxury of playing against teams that lose a man or more thanks to a red card. In the team’s last three wins, the opposition have seen red no less than five times. And then a trip to Ulsan, a team without its national team players and in the middle of vital Asian Champions League knockout matches, came at exactly the right time. Those three points kept Jeonbuk in the race but they can’t afford any more slip-ups.
The rest are nowhere as far as the title goes. Third place and a 2013 Asian Champions League slot is what it is now all about and it is looking good for Suwon, three points clear. Ulsan are still in with a shout but have fallen behind due to continental and international commitments and Pohang have already qualified for next year’s ACL thanks to last weekend’s FA Cup win.
At the bottom, Sangju Sangmu are already down leaving Gangwon, Gwangju and Chunnam Dragons fighting to avoid the second spot. Chunnam probably have a little too much quality but for the other two, anything could happen. Both have started to improve lately. The K-League;s first ever relegation struggle could be one to remember.
Third FA Cup for Pohang Steelers
It was cruel for Gyeongnam FC. The Cup final on October 20 was the biggest match in the club’s history. A chance for a first trophy and also a place in the 2013 Asian Champions League - glory awaited at the Steelyard. Gyeongnam had their chances in a poor game with Brazilian striker Caique going the closest as he rounded the goalkeeper only to shoot into the side-netting.
It was a costly miss. In the 120th minute and a penalty shootout looming, Park Sang-ho rose to head a free-kick into the top corner of the Gyeongnam goal. Cue wild celebrations from the Pohang fans, players and bench. The match was barely allowed to restart before the referee blew for full-time and a third triumph for the Steelers.
Kim Byung-ji makes 600
The Limahl-style hairstyle is not what it was but the 42 year-old goalkeeper is still going strong and recently passed the 600 appearance mark in the K-League. He is not about to stop now and wants 700. “ My goal is to To be the oldest K-League player. Shin Ui-Son has it now but I'll overtake him in two years. In that time I could reach 700 appearances," said Kim.
World Cup Woe
It was always going to be the toughest match of the qualification campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Korea arrived in Iran top of Group A and left in the same position. That was perhaps the only positive. A 1-0 defeat did not go down well in Seoul.
In front of 105,000 fans at the Azadi Stadium, the Taeguk Warriors had chances to win. Twice in the first half, they hit the bar from close range but in truth, it was a plodding performance. Going forward, Korea were predictable, aiming long balls at tall striker Kim Shin-wook and hoping to feed off the knockdowns that never came.
And then in defence, the team’s persistent inability to defend set pieces cost them again when Javad Nekounam was left unmarked in the area to fire home a low shot.
Damjanovic was at it again last weekend as Seoul picked up three points as the always tricky away trip to jeju United. The Montenegrin got both goals in that 2-1 victory, numbers 26 and 27 of the season. He has already broken the total goalscoring record for a foreigner that stood at 116. Molina, has contributed 17 himself, and his all-round play has created plenty for others.
Coach Choi Yong-soo has been criticized in some quarters for relying too much of the pair but when they are in such blistering form, he is not about to change now. 12 wins from the last 15 games shows that the team are on track for a second title.
Jeonbuk have managed to keep pace, kind of, in second partly thanks to some generous refereeing. Of late, the Motors have often had the luxury of playing against teams that lose a man or more thanks to a red card. In the team’s last three wins, the opposition have seen red no less than five times. And then a trip to Ulsan, a team without its national team players and in the middle of vital Asian Champions League knockout matches, came at exactly the right time. Those three points kept Jeonbuk in the race but they can’t afford any more slip-ups.
The rest are nowhere as far as the title goes. Third place and a 2013 Asian Champions League slot is what it is now all about and it is looking good for Suwon, three points clear. Ulsan are still in with a shout but have fallen behind due to continental and international commitments and Pohang have already qualified for next year’s ACL thanks to last weekend’s FA Cup win.
At the bottom, Sangju Sangmu are already down leaving Gangwon, Gwangju and Chunnam Dragons fighting to avoid the second spot. Chunnam probably have a little too much quality but for the other two, anything could happen. Both have started to improve lately. The K-League;s first ever relegation struggle could be one to remember.
Third FA Cup for Pohang Steelers
It was cruel for Gyeongnam FC. The Cup final on October 20 was the biggest match in the club’s history. A chance for a first trophy and also a place in the 2013 Asian Champions League - glory awaited at the Steelyard. Gyeongnam had their chances in a poor game with Brazilian striker Caique going the closest as he rounded the goalkeeper only to shoot into the side-netting.
It was a costly miss. In the 120th minute and a penalty shootout looming, Park Sang-ho rose to head a free-kick into the top corner of the Gyeongnam goal. Cue wild celebrations from the Pohang fans, players and bench. The match was barely allowed to restart before the referee blew for full-time and a third triumph for the Steelers.
Kim Byung-ji makes 600
The Limahl-style hairstyle is not what it was but the 42 year-old goalkeeper is still going strong and recently passed the 600 appearance mark in the K-League. He is not about to stop now and wants 700. “ My goal is to To be the oldest K-League player. Shin Ui-Son has it now but I'll overtake him in two years. In that time I could reach 700 appearances," said Kim.
World Cup Woe
It was always going to be the toughest match of the qualification campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Korea arrived in Iran top of Group A and left in the same position. That was perhaps the only positive. A 1-0 defeat did not go down well in Seoul.
In front of 105,000 fans at the Azadi Stadium, the Taeguk Warriors had chances to win. Twice in the first half, they hit the bar from close range but in truth, it was a plodding performance. Going forward, Korea were predictable, aiming long balls at tall striker Kim Shin-wook and hoping to feed off the knockdowns that never came.
And then in defence, the team’s persistent inability to defend set pieces cost them again when Javad Nekounam was left unmarked in the area to fire home a low shot.
Minggu, 19 Juni 2011
Motors Driving Towards Success In Korea
It has been a topsy-turvy season in the K-League so far. Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma have been kept off the bottom of the standings only thanks to the dreadful form of Gangwon FC. Suwon Bluewings find themselves in one of their annual slumps in form while champions FC Seoul have improved since earlier in the season but still can’t quite break free of the middle level.
One team though has been head and shoulders above the rest for much of the current campaign and that is Jeonbuk Motors. The team from Jeonju have found a level of consistency that the other 15 teams simply haven’t been able to match and not only that, it is entertaining fans in the south-west too. As Brazilian playmaker Eninho said on twitter at the weekend, “This is a Motors team without any brakes.”
Until Jeonbuk won the 2006 Asian Champions League, the Jeolla club was never really seen as a major contender in Korean soccer. They would win the occasional cup (which is how it qualified for the continental competition in the first place) but it wasn’t one of the big boys that vied for the league title. That started to change and in 2009, Jeonbuk lifted the golden K-League trophy for the first time. It would not be a surprise at all if it repeated that in 2011.
Just like the famous bi-bim-bap dish that hails from the city, Jeonbuk have all the right ingredients to give fans and players a taste of success. There is a solid foundation in defense, a lively and creative midfield; a strikeforce that can actually score goals with some Brazilian flair adding a little extra spice to what is already a tasty dish.
Jeonbuk are top of the standings with Lee Dong-gook getting most of the headlines. The Lion King’s time as an international is over but the striker is still hungry for success and has managed ten goals already this season. Despite topping the scoring charts along with Sangju’s Kim Jung-woo, Lee is not yet ready to start thinking about winning the Golden Boot just yet. “We have to see after the season is over. I personally want to finish the season without injury,” he said. “This year, I feel comfortable playing because my teammates are scoring easily. The team is getting stronger because many players are scoring goals.”
The former Middlesbrough marksman is right. Jeonbuk has scored an impressive 33 goals already this season in just 14 games. Gwangju was thrashed 6-1 and Incheon swatted aside 6-2. Just last weekend, the Motors came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down at home to Jeju United to win 3-2.
Jeonbuk were also top scorers in the group stage of the Asian Champions League and has been perhaps the most impressive team in the continental competition so far. The team have reached the last eight and could repeat its success of 2006 when it was crowned champion of Asia. The quarter-final against Cerezo Osaka is not until September, leaving enough time to increase its lead at the top of the K-League.
Lee may have been grabbing the headlines but it has been a real team effort. Lee pointed to the leadership of Kim Sang-sik in defence. The veteran pulls the strings. Former Korean coach Pim Verbeek often said that Kim was the best player in the country when he had the ball at his feet, so comfortable he was in possession.
The Brazilians in the team Luiz Henrique and especially Eninho have been around for a number of years. Eninho can be inconsistent but often reserves his best performances for the big games. The likes of Kim Dong-chan and Lee Sung-hyun may not grab the headlines but are quietly efficient with Lee being called up to the national team recently. The team’s Chinese midfielder Huang Bowen is also finding his feet in the K-League.
And in long-serving coach Choi Kang-hee, the club has a man who doesn’t say much but has seen it all in Korean and Asian soccer. “We are playing well at the moment but there is still a long way to go this season,” said Choi. “The challenge for us is to be doing the same at the end of the year and be challenging in both Korea and Asia.”
At the moment, nowhere holds any fears for the team from Jeonju.
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One team though has been head and shoulders above the rest for much of the current campaign and that is Jeonbuk Motors. The team from Jeonju have found a level of consistency that the other 15 teams simply haven’t been able to match and not only that, it is entertaining fans in the south-west too. As Brazilian playmaker Eninho said on twitter at the weekend, “This is a Motors team without any brakes.”
Until Jeonbuk won the 2006 Asian Champions League, the Jeolla club was never really seen as a major contender in Korean soccer. They would win the occasional cup (which is how it qualified for the continental competition in the first place) but it wasn’t one of the big boys that vied for the league title. That started to change and in 2009, Jeonbuk lifted the golden K-League trophy for the first time. It would not be a surprise at all if it repeated that in 2011.
Just like the famous bi-bim-bap dish that hails from the city, Jeonbuk have all the right ingredients to give fans and players a taste of success. There is a solid foundation in defense, a lively and creative midfield; a strikeforce that can actually score goals with some Brazilian flair adding a little extra spice to what is already a tasty dish.
Jeonbuk are top of the standings with Lee Dong-gook getting most of the headlines. The Lion King’s time as an international is over but the striker is still hungry for success and has managed ten goals already this season. Despite topping the scoring charts along with Sangju’s Kim Jung-woo, Lee is not yet ready to start thinking about winning the Golden Boot just yet. “We have to see after the season is over. I personally want to finish the season without injury,” he said. “This year, I feel comfortable playing because my teammates are scoring easily. The team is getting stronger because many players are scoring goals.”
The former Middlesbrough marksman is right. Jeonbuk has scored an impressive 33 goals already this season in just 14 games. Gwangju was thrashed 6-1 and Incheon swatted aside 6-2. Just last weekend, the Motors came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down at home to Jeju United to win 3-2.
Jeonbuk were also top scorers in the group stage of the Asian Champions League and has been perhaps the most impressive team in the continental competition so far. The team have reached the last eight and could repeat its success of 2006 when it was crowned champion of Asia. The quarter-final against Cerezo Osaka is not until September, leaving enough time to increase its lead at the top of the K-League.
Lee may have been grabbing the headlines but it has been a real team effort. Lee pointed to the leadership of Kim Sang-sik in defence. The veteran pulls the strings. Former Korean coach Pim Verbeek often said that Kim was the best player in the country when he had the ball at his feet, so comfortable he was in possession.
The Brazilians in the team Luiz Henrique and especially Eninho have been around for a number of years. Eninho can be inconsistent but often reserves his best performances for the big games. The likes of Kim Dong-chan and Lee Sung-hyun may not grab the headlines but are quietly efficient with Lee being called up to the national team recently. The team’s Chinese midfielder Huang Bowen is also finding his feet in the K-League.
And in long-serving coach Choi Kang-hee, the club has a man who doesn’t say much but has seen it all in Korean and Asian soccer. “We are playing well at the moment but there is still a long way to go this season,” said Choi. “The challenge for us is to be doing the same at the end of the year and be challenging in both Korea and Asia.”
At the moment, nowhere holds any fears for the team from Jeonju.
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Selasa, 23 November 2010
Seongnam Hungry For Domestic Success Too
The K-League championship play-offs have reached that stage when it becomes a little easier to explain to non-followers what is going on. And Wednesday’s clash between Jeonbuk Motors and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma at Jeonju World Cup Stadium should be one to excite even the vaguest of soccer supporters.
It is a big game in its own right but there are a number of side plots that add to the drama. The basic background is that both teams came through their first play-off tests with flying colours. Jeonbuk, who finished third at the end of the regular season, defeated sixth-place Gyeongnam FC 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The win was a fairly comfortably one for the men in green. Cho Sung-hwan headed home the first, a rare goal from the defender. The second goal came from a more familiar source but Eninho’s was a fine strike. The Brazilian had been tweeting all week that he was raring to go and his run and low shot from the edge of the penalty area in the second half showed that he is a man of action as well as words.
He is the team’s playmaker and if he hasn’t been quite as impressive as last season then the same can be said of Jeonbuk, though the two are not unrelated. The Motors lifted the K-League trophy in 2009 for the first time. The team it defeated in the final of that championship season was Seongnam. The Yellows have a score to settle against the Greens after losing 3-1 at the same stadium in the final game of last season.
There is more. Whichever team wins on Wednesday will not only continue in the play-offs to face Jeju United on Sunday -the winner of which progresses to the final championship decider against FC Seoul- it will also receive a place in the 2011 Asian Champions League. Seongnam won the 2010 version on November 13.
Jeonbuk won the same competition back in 2006. Back then, the champions were granted automatic entry to the following year’s edition but this is no longer the case. If Seongnam loses on Wednesday it will not be able to defend its title next year. Unsurprisingly, the club enjoyed its taste of continental glory and is hungry for more.
“We want to play in the Asian Champions League again next season,” said Seongnam coach Shin Tae-yong. “Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee is an excellent coach so we will have to prepare well for the game. We lost in the final to Jeonbuk last year and this is a game we really want to win.”
Choi is looking to lead his team to a second successive K-League title; the last team to win back-to-back trophies was Seongnam back in 2003. The coach saw his team dispatch Gyeongnam on Saturday and then turned his thoughts to Wednesday’s big game.
"It was a harder game than we expected but in front of our own fans, we showed a strong will to win. It wasn't a great performance but we got the right result. There is no time to relax as the next game takes place on Wednesday and we have to prepare for that,” said Choi.
They will have to prepare for Seongnam’s three foreign players who all scored against Ulsan. Sasa Ognenovski got the first from the penalty spot, Dzenan Radoncic fired home a rocket of a second and Mauricio Molina sealed the win.
Radoncic missed the Asian final through suspension and is hungry to make amends domestically.
“It was tough not to play in Tokyo,” said the Montenegrin striker. “So I made coach Shin a promise that I would show what I could do against Ulsan. We defeated jeonbuk this season at home and we are confident we can do so again and qualify for Asia.”
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It is a big game in its own right but there are a number of side plots that add to the drama. The basic background is that both teams came through their first play-off tests with flying colours. Jeonbuk, who finished third at the end of the regular season, defeated sixth-place Gyeongnam FC 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The win was a fairly comfortably one for the men in green. Cho Sung-hwan headed home the first, a rare goal from the defender. The second goal came from a more familiar source but Eninho’s was a fine strike. The Brazilian had been tweeting all week that he was raring to go and his run and low shot from the edge of the penalty area in the second half showed that he is a man of action as well as words.
He is the team’s playmaker and if he hasn’t been quite as impressive as last season then the same can be said of Jeonbuk, though the two are not unrelated. The Motors lifted the K-League trophy in 2009 for the first time. The team it defeated in the final of that championship season was Seongnam. The Yellows have a score to settle against the Greens after losing 3-1 at the same stadium in the final game of last season.
There is more. Whichever team wins on Wednesday will not only continue in the play-offs to face Jeju United on Sunday -the winner of which progresses to the final championship decider against FC Seoul- it will also receive a place in the 2011 Asian Champions League. Seongnam won the 2010 version on November 13.
Jeonbuk won the same competition back in 2006. Back then, the champions were granted automatic entry to the following year’s edition but this is no longer the case. If Seongnam loses on Wednesday it will not be able to defend its title next year. Unsurprisingly, the club enjoyed its taste of continental glory and is hungry for more.
“We want to play in the Asian Champions League again next season,” said Seongnam coach Shin Tae-yong. “Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee is an excellent coach so we will have to prepare well for the game. We lost in the final to Jeonbuk last year and this is a game we really want to win.”
Choi is looking to lead his team to a second successive K-League title; the last team to win back-to-back trophies was Seongnam back in 2003. The coach saw his team dispatch Gyeongnam on Saturday and then turned his thoughts to Wednesday’s big game.
"It was a harder game than we expected but in front of our own fans, we showed a strong will to win. It wasn't a great performance but we got the right result. There is no time to relax as the next game takes place on Wednesday and we have to prepare for that,” said Choi.
They will have to prepare for Seongnam’s three foreign players who all scored against Ulsan. Sasa Ognenovski got the first from the penalty spot, Dzenan Radoncic fired home a rocket of a second and Mauricio Molina sealed the win.
Radoncic missed the Asian final through suspension and is hungry to make amends domestically.
“It was tough not to play in Tokyo,” said the Montenegrin striker. “So I made coach Shin a promise that I would show what I could do against Ulsan. We defeated jeonbuk this season at home and we are confident we can do so again and qualify for Asia.”
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Minggu, 12 September 2010
K-League Clubs Make History
Asian football history will be made this Wednesday with South Korea at the heart of it all. The Land of the Morning Calm is supplying 50% of the eight teams still involved in the Asian Champions League as the continental competition resumes at the quarterfinal stage after a break of four months.
Much has happened since the second round came to a close in May, not least the 2010 World Cup. Nothing like this, one nation supplying the maximum four teams possible, has happened before however.
East and South-East Asia supplied 16 of the 32 teams that started out in the competition back in February. The four teams each from Japan and China have fallen by the wayside as have representatives from Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. Only Korea remains as the K-League looks for a ninth championship and East Asia for a fifth in succession.
Now, with the final in sight, the continent is no longer split into east and west. After the group stage and the one-off match of the second round, the quarter and semi-finals are two-legged affairs.
Defending Asian champions Pohang Steelers and defending Korean champions Jeonbuk Motors will face long trips to West Asia over the next week. Not Seongnam Ilhwa or Suwon Bluewings though. Most eyes in Korea will be on the clash between the Gyeonggi giants who become the first all-Korean participants of an Asian tie since Jeonbuk and Ulsan met at the semi-final stage of the 2006 tournament.
It promises to be quite a clash, both at Seongnam’s Tancheon Stadium on Wednesday and in the second leg at Suwon World Cup Stadium a week later. A few months ago, Seongnam, would have been the overwhelming favorites to progress to the last four for the third time in seven years but much has changed over the summer.
To be more accurate, Suwon have changed. The team now bears little resemblance to the soporific and sluggish side that sank to the bottom of the K-League in the first half of the season. With loss after loss in the domestic game, coach Cha Bum-keun, regarded as the greatest Asian soccer player of the 20th century, called it a day in June.
His replacement Yoon Sung-hyo has, so far, been a revelation. Seven wins and two ties, a record marred only by last weekend’s loss at the hands of leaders Jeju United, have seen the Bluewings soar from bottom to seventh place in the league.
New signing Naohiro Takahara is starting to score and the former Japanese international in joined in attacked by the returning Shin Young-rok. With Kim Doo-hyun and Baek Ji-hoon looking like their former selves in midfield, Suwon fans are confident of upsetting Seongnam.
In Asian terms that would be something of a shock. Seongnam were much more impressive in the Champions League earlier this season and is still going well in the league with six wins from its last ten matches. Coach Shin Tae-yong is looking to become the first man to win the Asian Champions League as both coach and player after lifting the trophy with the same club back in 1996.
"Suwon has a strong forward and midfield line-up …and the team condition of Suwon looks very good and it is also playing well. But we don’t need to worry about this. We will prepare well and win.” said Shin to the official homepage of the Asian Football Confederation.
“Every K-League club has a keen desire to play in the Champions League. They want to win the prize money and they want to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. So they prepare a lot for the competition. I think this is the main reason why four K-League clubs could reach the last eight this year.”
Pohang Steelers won the competition last year for a record third time and despite the team’s poor form at home; they have made it into the last eight once again. The first leg is a long trek to the home of Iran’s league leaders Zob Ahan. It is the first time that the hosts have made it this far but after the Iranian national team won 1-0 in Seoul last week in an international friendly, Pohang will be taking nothing for granted.
The third Korean match sees Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia travel to Jeonju to face Jeonbuk Motors. It is the first West Asian opposition for the Greens since the final of the 2006 tournament in which they defeated Al Karama of Syria. Jeonbuk will be favorites to progress to the last four despite a poor showing last Friday as they lost 3-1 at home to Gangwon FC. Last, and for Koreans, least, is the all West Asian clash between Saudi Arabian powerhouse AL Hilal and Qatar's Al Gharafa.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
Tags
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Much has happened since the second round came to a close in May, not least the 2010 World Cup. Nothing like this, one nation supplying the maximum four teams possible, has happened before however.
East and South-East Asia supplied 16 of the 32 teams that started out in the competition back in February. The four teams each from Japan and China have fallen by the wayside as have representatives from Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. Only Korea remains as the K-League looks for a ninth championship and East Asia for a fifth in succession.
Now, with the final in sight, the continent is no longer split into east and west. After the group stage and the one-off match of the second round, the quarter and semi-finals are two-legged affairs.
Defending Asian champions Pohang Steelers and defending Korean champions Jeonbuk Motors will face long trips to West Asia over the next week. Not Seongnam Ilhwa or Suwon Bluewings though. Most eyes in Korea will be on the clash between the Gyeonggi giants who become the first all-Korean participants of an Asian tie since Jeonbuk and Ulsan met at the semi-final stage of the 2006 tournament.
It promises to be quite a clash, both at Seongnam’s Tancheon Stadium on Wednesday and in the second leg at Suwon World Cup Stadium a week later. A few months ago, Seongnam, would have been the overwhelming favorites to progress to the last four for the third time in seven years but much has changed over the summer.
To be more accurate, Suwon have changed. The team now bears little resemblance to the soporific and sluggish side that sank to the bottom of the K-League in the first half of the season. With loss after loss in the domestic game, coach Cha Bum-keun, regarded as the greatest Asian soccer player of the 20th century, called it a day in June.
His replacement Yoon Sung-hyo has, so far, been a revelation. Seven wins and two ties, a record marred only by last weekend’s loss at the hands of leaders Jeju United, have seen the Bluewings soar from bottom to seventh place in the league.
New signing Naohiro Takahara is starting to score and the former Japanese international in joined in attacked by the returning Shin Young-rok. With Kim Doo-hyun and Baek Ji-hoon looking like their former selves in midfield, Suwon fans are confident of upsetting Seongnam.
In Asian terms that would be something of a shock. Seongnam were much more impressive in the Champions League earlier this season and is still going well in the league with six wins from its last ten matches. Coach Shin Tae-yong is looking to become the first man to win the Asian Champions League as both coach and player after lifting the trophy with the same club back in 1996.
"Suwon has a strong forward and midfield line-up …and the team condition of Suwon looks very good and it is also playing well. But we don’t need to worry about this. We will prepare well and win.” said Shin to the official homepage of the Asian Football Confederation.
“Every K-League club has a keen desire to play in the Champions League. They want to win the prize money and they want to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. So they prepare a lot for the competition. I think this is the main reason why four K-League clubs could reach the last eight this year.”
Pohang Steelers won the competition last year for a record third time and despite the team’s poor form at home; they have made it into the last eight once again. The first leg is a long trek to the home of Iran’s league leaders Zob Ahan. It is the first time that the hosts have made it this far but after the Iranian national team won 1-0 in Seoul last week in an international friendly, Pohang will be taking nothing for granted.
The third Korean match sees Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia travel to Jeonju to face Jeonbuk Motors. It is the first West Asian opposition for the Greens since the final of the 2006 tournament in which they defeated Al Karama of Syria. Jeonbuk will be favorites to progress to the last four despite a poor showing last Friday as they lost 3-1 at home to Gangwon FC. Last, and for Koreans, least, is the all West Asian clash between Saudi Arabian powerhouse AL Hilal and Qatar's Al Gharafa.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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