Korean football fans have a two-tier season. Not only does the K-League run from the end of February to the beginning of December, the European season and the overseas Taeguk Warriors, just recovered from the World Cup, are just getting started. The best-known of these is, of course, Park Ji-sung. When he signed for Manchester United back in July 2005, few would have expected that he would be embarking on a sixth season at one of the world’s biggest clubs. This campaign promises to be one of the most open seasons in the English Premier League for years with the usual suspects such as United, Chelsea and Arsenal battling for the top prize with big spenders Manchester City adding an interesting extra element. Park enjoyed a very good World Cup in South Africa and can expect to enjoy a fair amount of playing time over the next few months. The 29 year-old played a big part in the second half of the season last time round as United finished second behind Chelsea but struggled in the first half due to injuries sustained while in action for the national team. So the sight last Wednesday of Park sitting on the bench in the second half of South Korea’s friendly match against Nigeria with ice strapped around his knee would have been a worry for fans of the Red Devils but Park is fit and raring to go, though he sat out the team's 3-0 opening match win over Newcastle United on Monday night. Interest is always high in Park’s exploits with the 18-time English champions, now looking for a record 19th title, but many eyes will also be fixed just a few miles north of Manchester to see how Lee Chung-yong performs with Bolton Wanderers. The winger joined the club in the summer of 2009 and immediately impressed. He was one of Bolton’s best players and contributed with five goals and a number of assists. What was more impressive is that Lee, still just 22, arrived at the start of the English season after over six months of football in Korea. The recent rest he had after the 2010 World Cup was his first break since the end of 2008. And after a good performance in South Africa, he is ready for another good season. I had the chance recently to have to talk to Park Ji-sung at the National Football Center in Paju and he was fulsome in praise for his young national team colleague. “He showed last season unbelievably well in the Premier League with Bolton,” said Park. “And then with the national team as well. He is a player who is getting bigger in the national team as well. So, hopefully, he will get more experience and he can take my place. “He is very talented. He has good skills, a good mentality and is good physically, he may not be physically strong yet but he can learn all that. He is smart and, hopefully, can continue growing in this way to become the best player in our country.” The Seoul media is also a fan of Lee but is concerned that he may fall victim to second season syndrome as he is no longer an unknown quantity. That remains to be seen though Lee himself recently admitted that he was taken aback at just how well his first season in England went. “At first I was worried because it was my first time playing in a European league. But I was so surprised that everyone was welcoming, my team-mates and the fans," said Lee. "My ambition was to play as many games as I could. Now I have done that, I am proud of what I have achieved. The pressure was not on me as there was no expectation as I was unknown here. I like a quiet life so living in England suits me as player." North of the border, two World Cup stars play for Scottish giants Celtic. Ki Sung-yong arrived in Glasgow in January. The 21 year-old didn’t get much playing time but that looks likely to change this time around as he has been active in midfield in the club’s pre-season. He has been joined at Parkhead by right-back Cha Du-ri. The remaining veteran of South Africa playing in Europe is Park Chu-young. The striker, just turned 25, impressed at the World Cup after two good seasons in France with AS Monaco. He could be on the move before the August 31 deadline. Moves to England are still rumoured but not with the same intensity of a month ago. Still, in football, you never quite know what will happen and that is the beauty of the game as will be demonstrated once more over the coming months –both in Europe and Korea. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters World Cup football

In between football seasons comes the silly season - a time when clubs are looking for new players and vice-versa. The internet bulges with stories of interest, denials, refusals, offers, medical tests, breakdowns and then, sometimes, a picture of a beaming player wearing a new club shirt. The World Cup comes around every four years to add extra impetus. The global stage acts as a month-long advertisement for players. In Korea’s case it lasted almost three weeks but it was enough to set a few wheels in motion. Potentially the biggest transfer of a South Korean player this summer is that of Park Chu-young. The striker, who turned 25 last week, already plies his trade in Europe and has been with AS Monaco since August 2008. His solid performances in France were noticed in bigger leagues and then his impressive displays in South Africa, have, according to reports, persuaded English Premier League clubs to check their bank balances to find the $10 million or so that would be necessary to buy him. Monaco doesn’t want to sell but that doesn’t always matter in the modern transfer market. The Ligue One team played an exhibition against Incheon United on July 11 after which coach Guy Lacombe was quizzed by local journalists about the future of the former FC Seoul star. The boss said the usual stuff about that ‘Park is a Monaco player’ but admitted that ‘never’ was not a common word in the lexicon of football. The English media took notice of such remarks and so did, according to reports, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Aston Villa and Fulham. It is an impressive list and while such reports should often be served with a pinch of salt, there is a gathering of momentum that suggests that Park will be on his way north before the end of the summer. It will be a move welcomed by a Korean media that likes to see its stars in England, the most popular league in the world. Those journalists would probably choose Liverpool, 18-time English and five-time European champions, as the preferred destination. With Park Ji-sung at Manchester United, another Park at United’s great rival just up the road would add an interesting extra sub-plot ahead of the new season. New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson, who hardly selected Seol Ki-hyeon in his time at Fulham, has asked the club’s loyal fans that if they have to read transfer reports, not to read too much into them."We are looking to add to and improve the squad, but I prefer not to talk or say what we are doing until we have something concrete to announce,” he told the club’s website. "We are being linked with players left, right and centre and it amuses me that we are sometimes linked with players we haven't even heard of.” The well-travelled Hodgson has certainly heard of Park as it has been claimed in England and Korea that he tried to buy the star for former club Fulham in April 2009 only for the player to choose to stay by the Mediterranean rather than move to the London club with a stadium on the banks of the River Thames. Liverpool, as one of the biggest clubs in Europe, would be a different proposition despite the fact the club is in debt and seeking new owners. Before the World Cup not many had heard of Cho Yong-hyung but the Jeju United defender played in all four games in South Africa and could be about to move direct from the K-League to the Premier League, something just two players, Lee’s Chung-young and Dong-gook, have done before. The agent of the softly-spoken star has been happy to publicly declare interest. "Aston Villa and a few other European clubs have shown interest," said Yoon Ki-yeon. "I can confirm that he is on their transfer list and I expect the official deal will be made after the World Cup." Some moves had been completed already. Cha Du-ri lined up in South Africa along with Ki Sung-yong and now the son of Korean legend Cha Bum-keun will be joining Ki in Glasgow at the home of Celtic. The fun is only just beginning and will only intensify as mid-August and the start of the European season approaches. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters World Cup football

The story of another South Korea star’s adventures in Europe started last weekend as Ki Sung-yong made a first appearance in the famous green-and-white hooped shirt of Celtic. The 20 year-old played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as his new team drew 1-1 with Falkirk in the Scottish Premier League. It was a disappointing performance from the Bhoys but a promising debut from Ki who was impressed with his free-kick skills and was named Man of the Match. After agreeing to join the famous Scottish club last summer, Ki, had to wait until the end of the year to join his new team as he played out the rest of the K-League season with FC Seoul. Now he is ready to help the 1967 European champions recapture the Scottish title from Glasgow rivals Rangers. Ki has already impressed off the pitch with his fluent English and pleased journalists, players and supporters alike by coming up with a more familiar first name. "I spent some time in Australia and there my friends called me David as it's difficult for some to pronounce my name,” he told the local media upon arrival. “If that helps make it easier, it’s fine with me. Communication is so important if players are to be comfortable with each other." Those years spent in high school in Brisbane may have helped his English skills but life on the Gold Coast is a far cry from that in Glasgow. Ki got a taste of that in his first full week in the UK with severe snowstorms and cold weather bringing the country and soccer to a halt and delaying his debut for the club. That wouldn’t have bothered him too much, Seoul is colder than Scotland in the winter months and the classy youngster has a perfect attitude to match his skills. Already a regular in the Korean team, Ki has been one of the hottest properties in Asia for the past two years or so since he broke into the ranks at FC Seoul. He quickly became one of the nation’s biggest stars and the fact that he is tall and handsome didn’t do him any harm. Now he has the challenge of charming the legions of Celtic fans that fill Parkhead, the club’s famous 60,000 capacity stadium, on a regular basis. Despite such numbers, Scottish football is in the doldrums these days with the two big clubs, Celtic, and city rivals Rangers, a little less flush with cash than in the past and with the rest of the league unable to compete regardless, many eyes will be on Ki, the 2009 Young Asian Player of the Year, to lift the profile of the Scottish scene. "In signing Ki, we are sure we will welcome a whole new audience to Celtic," Celtic Chief executive Peter Lawwell said recently in Seoul. "This (creating new audiences) is something which proved very successful through the signing of players such as Shunsuke Nakamura previously and we are sure Scottish football will again benefit through this signing. In difficult economic times for Scottish football, we are delighted to make this commitment and bring Ki to Scotland." Nakamura arrived in Scotland in 2005 and spent four years there. The Japanese playmaker was a big hit with the fans and the coach. Before leaving for Spain in the summer of 2009, he certainly helped raise Celtic’s profile in Japan and Asia but Ki has warned fans that he is not a ‘Naka Mark II’ but is more similar to a certain all-action Liverpool and England midfielder. “People will be expecting me to be the new Nakamura, but I'm not. He was a wonderful player and really gifted technically, but that's not the style I play. I'm younger, faster and stronger. In South Korea people compare me to Steven Gerrard, and I'll admit that's who I've based my game on." "But Gerrard is one of the best and most recognized midfielders in the world. At the moment I'm not, but that's what I want to become.” Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags Soccer News football

There is always a last-minute move before the European transfer window slams shut at the end of August but the latest deal to be made involving a South Korean star came so late that it will actually take place at the start of 2010. Ki Sung-yong has signed for Scotland titans Glasgow Celtic but will join the team next January. The 20 year-old is as highly-rated as they come and despite his tender age, is already an established international and one of Asia’s hottest properties. "I don't see him making a big impact on the team right now. If he does come, then I'd suggest it's something for the future,” said Celtic head coach Tony Mowbray just before the deal was done. "He's a young player with potential. Every player we sign is a big signing, but this kid has potential."

As the rainy season, hopefully, comes to an end, the football season in South Korea is just past the halfway stage. It has been a very interesting and unusual campaign so far with some big fish struggling down in the murky waters while minnows play around in unfamiliar waters near the surface. Usually, there is no smaller catch in the K-League than Gwangju Sangmu. The military club spends every season at the bottom. That is not a huge surprise considering that they are restricted to players on their two-year tour of duty and are not able to go out and sign exotic foreign stars, something that many clubs in the league are doing right now.

As the rainy season, hopefully, comes to an end, the football season in South Korea is just past the halfway stage. It has been a very interesting and unusual campaign so far with some big fish struggling down in the murky waters while minnows play around in unfamiliar waters near the surface. Usually, there is no smaller catch in the K-League than Gwangju Sangmu. The military club spends every season at the bottom. That is not a huge surprise considering that they are restricted to players on their two-year tour of duty and are not able to go out and sign exotic foreign stars, something that many clubs in the league are doing right now.

It really is a magnificent seven. Asia’s most successful team has booked a place at the World Cup yet again. South Korea defeated UAE 2-0 in the early hours of Sunday morning Seoul time to seal a place in South Africa. First, the details. It was a comfortable win against the bottom team of the group. Park Chu-young finished well after eight minutes to put the Taeguk Warriors on their way. Eight minutes before half-time, Ki Sung-yung took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake to make it 2-0. The host, with one point from a previous six matches, was never likely to recover and thanks to the fact that Iran and North Korea tied 0-0 earlier in the day, it was enough.

Football eyes have been fixed on the K-league in recent weeks but Wednesday’s 2010 World Cup qualifier in Saudi Arabia has been casting a large shadow over the domestic scene for weeks. Wednesday's game in Riyadh is the first big test in South Korea's bid to qualify for South Africa. Until now, the obstacles on that road have been provided by the likes of Turkmenistan, Jordan, North Korea and UAE. Coaches are fond of saying these days that there are no easy games any more in international football. If that is the case, it is still true to say that some opponents are easier than others. Saudi Arabia is a traditional powerhouse of the continental scene, has appeared at the last four World Cups and fully expects to be busy in the summer of 2010. When you add the fact that South Korea has tied two and lost three of the last five meetings with the West Asians then you get an idea of the task at hand at the imposing King Fahd International Stadium. Two of those defeats came during qualification for the 2006 World Cup. The first was a 2-0 reverse in the eastern city of Damman, a result that became known as the 'Damman Shock' in the Seoul media. The return game in Seoul also went the way of the Saudis and ostensibly cost then coach Jo Bonfrere his job though he told me just before he departed that the first loss was the beginning of the end. A similar result in Riyadh may not have that effect on Huh Jung-moo but then again, it might as Group Two of qualification couldn’t be tighter. Both teams have collected four points from two games in the final round of qualification. South Korea drew 1-1 with North Korea in September and then thrashed UAE 4-1 in Seoul. Saudi Arabia started with a draw at home to Iran and then won in UAE. Of the five teams in the group, only the top two automatically qualify for the World Cup. Third place enters a play-off system. Wednesday's game is a real ‘six-pointer’. It is not only about collecting three points; it is preventing your rivals from doing the same. Coach Huh Jung-moo is likely to keep faith with the young players who impressed last month in Seoul. This includes teenage FC Seoul midfielder Ki Sung-young, who has, along with his team-mates, been eating lots of lamb in preparation. "All the players are confident because of last month’s good win against UAE," Ki told reporters." We feel good physically and mentally. It will not be an easy game but if we prepare well we can get a good result." There has been some good news. Saudi star Yasser Al Qahtani has a groin injury and could miss the match. 'The Sniper' and 2007 Asian Player of the Year scored against Korea in March 2005 and the 2007 Asian Cup. Quick, strong and skilful, his absence will be welcome. The Saudis still have attacking capabilities that few Asian sides can boast and Malez Maaz may be small but he can be devastating on the ball. The Saudis have suspended their league season for the last two weeks to give their stars a chance to prepare for this match. Korea arrived in Qatar last Wednesday in order to acclimatize and play a warm-up match against the national team there. That ended 1-1 and, as these games tend to do, revealed little. "I am not interested in this result," said coach Huh in Doha. "We could have won and we could have lost but the main thing was to take a look at the players." Korean fans will also get a rare look at Saudi Arabia's players as they – satisfied by large salaries - rarely venture outside their homeland but Korea’s overseas contingent, including Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, Park Chu-young of AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund's Lee Young-pyo were in action last weekend and only arrived in the middle-east on Sunday. Their experience will be needed – Lee will make his 100th appearance for the national team. The milestone is an impressive one and if Korea are to make it seven successive World Cups, games such as this are key. "It is a tough game but we have come here to win," Park told reporters as he arrived at Doha Airport . "We don't play against Saudi Arabia often and we don't have a good record against them. We will do our best to change that on Wednesday." Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

There was a moment during Wednesday’s World Cup qualification match between South Korea and UAE in Seoul that may prove to be a turning point in the team’s fortunes. Korea dominated the match at Seoul World Cup Stadium, just like they had numerous times in the past. With 20 minutes of the match remaining, it was 2-0 and really should have been more. Chances had been missed, flying saves made and woodwork whacked. Despite that, at least two goals had been scored and 2-0 would have been acceptable prior to the match. Then, as happened against Jordan in the previous round of qualification and against Iran and Syria in Asian Cup qualification, Korea followed domination and missed chances by giving away a goal in comical circumstances. Facing his own goal at the edge of the penalty area, Cho Yong-hyong, under pressure from Islam Salem, elected to turn and try to dribble past the UAE attacker instead of booting the ball into touch. Predictably, Salem took the ball, dribbled round startled goalkeeper Jugn Sung-ryong to score. The next five minutes were nervy and most of the fans fully expected a desperate fight to protect the three points.Unlike in the past however, a Korean striker was around to take some pressure off the team with clinical finishing. Lee Keun-ho has been scoring goals for Daegu for two seasons now and has been on the fringes of the national team for around half that time. The former Incheon United player - the gritty port city club has a habit of jettisoning players that later turn out to be selected for South Korea - is the latest star in the Land of the Morning Calm. He wasn’t even an automatic choice for the national team until last week. Lee came on at half-time in a friendly match against Uzbekistan and scored twice in the second half. That was enough to earn a place in the starting eleven against UAE. Just as he did against Uzbekistan, Lee missed his first chance that was easier than the others. Midway through the He showed great movement to put himself in a position to score the firstt goal and then, five minutes after UAE pulled one back, Lee sealed the win for the hosts. It was a great finish and provided a hint that Korea’s new young guns could be made of sterner stuff mentally than some of their recent predecessors. Ki Sung-young, Lee Chung-young, Lee Keun-ho and Jung Sung-hoon all enjoyed themselves against the Uzbeks and UAE but tougher tests lie ahead. There are none tougher in Asian football than visits to Saudi Arabia. If the youngsters can pull off a similar performance against a much more formidable West Asian team then that really could be something worth getting excited about. "The players have now regained their confidence," Park ji-sung said. "If we can keep the atmosphere alive, we can get a good result in Saudi Arabia.” Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

A World Cup qualifier against UAE would not usually be a huge game but Wednesday’s clash in Seoul promises to be a big, big night for South Korean football. What should happen in such a situation, and what has usually happened in the past, is that the host enjoys a fairly comfortable victory and takes a step towards what would be a seventh successive World Cup. And yet, there are nerves everywhere. Nerves at the Korean Football Association that the team will miss out, dealing a huge blow to the sport in the Land of the Morning Calm, nerves among the media who don’t want to imagine a World Cup without Korea, nerves among the players who dream of the chance to showcase their talents on the biggest stage of all, nerves among the fans who are rightly proud of Korea’s World Cup record and nerves among the coaching staff who could soon find themselves out of a job. A 1-1 tie against North Korea in Shanghai in September was a reasonable, if slightly disappointing result –though the performance was poor- and leaves no room for error at home against the weakest member of the group. As well as North Korea and UAE, Asian powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia are the other two members of the group. Only the top two progresses to South Africa - third place means play-offs and if you thought things were tense now, winner-takes-all elimination games play havoc with the blood pressure. But that is way in the future. With tricky trips to Riyadh, against a team that Korea has lost three and tied two of its last five games, and Tehran where the East Asians have never won an official match, up next, it is imperative that the full three points are deposited in the bank tonight. If not, coach Huh Jung-moo is likely to be out of the door and a big-name foreign coach drafted in as a jittery KFA looks to salvage the campaign before it is too late. Huh is showing no signs of the pressure and has vowed to attack the West Asians from the beginning. There are some absentees. Kim Do-heon, Lee Chun-soo, Kim Chi-gon, Kim Jin-kyu, Jung Jo-gook and Lee Jang-soo are injured. Captain Kim Nam-il is suspended but there is some good news. UAE is in something of a crisis. The West Asians have played two games so far, both at home and both were lost. In September, coach Bruno Metsu, who almost took the South Korean job in 2004, jumped ship to nearby Qatar. Fellow Frenchman Dominique Bathenay is expected to play it safe in Seoul but knows that a good result could resurrect UAE’s World Cup dreams. “South Korea is a strong team,” said a tired-looking Bathaney as he arrived at Incheon International Airport on Monday. “We know many of their players but we are going to focus just on our own team and how we are going to play. It looks as if two from South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia will qualify. We have struggled from the beginning but there is still a chance for us. It will be a tough match against South Korea but we will fight for our lives until the end.” That end will be virtually guaranteed if the UAE loses in Seoul. Ismail Matar is the one to watch out for. Small but stocked full of silky skills, he scored four out of seven UAE goals in the previous round of qualification and is presented with gifts of camels on a regular basis from fans. Korea warmed up for the UAE game against Uzbekistan on Saturday and won 3-0. All three goals were impressive as were the players that scored them. Talented teenagers Lee Chung-yung and Ki Sung-yung play together for FC Seoul and combined well for the first goal. Daegu’s Lee Keun-ho scored twice in the second, doing enough to earn a starting place. “The goal has given me confidence,” said Ki who scored the only goal against North Korea in Shanghai. “It has also made me greedy for more and I am looking for a third consecutive goal against UAE. It will not be an easy game for us but we are capable of getting a good result.” As tests go, the Uzbekistan game was not the best as the Central Asians were happy to attack Korea, leaving holes at the back. There will be no such easy pickings in the northwest corner of Seoul this evening. UAE prepared by drawing 1-1 in Japan last week. It was a good result though the Japanese missed a host of chances and allowed UAE to score on the counter-attack. It is a scenario not unfamiliar to Korean fans and a repeat tonight would signal the start of a turbulent few weeks in Korean soccer. Despite all the nerves, that shouldn’t happen as Korea look set to take a step closer to South Africa. copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting