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

There is nothing like the World Cup for getting a country excited. These days in South Korea it is hard to see a television commercial that isn’t footy-related. While it is debatable as to how much the nation really loves the beautiful game, it has to be said that when it comes to the national team taking on the world, few can rival the passion of the Korean fans. Such passion is matched in South Africa. On arrival at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport in mid-week, the arrivals gate was full of fans from Honduras and Mexico who had just landed. It was a pleasant reminder that the whole world really can’t wait for the action to start when South Africa takes on Mexico at the amazing Soccer City Stadium in Soweto. 95,000 fans will make quite an atmosphere. Less than 24 hours later however, the attention of the world will join that of Asia and South Korea and fix its gaze upon Port Elizabeth. The Taeguk Warriors are the first from the continent to do battle in Africa and must face Greece. It is being billed as a must-win match. Both teams think that three points from the opening match will open the way to the second round. South Korea, semifinalist in 2002, has never survived the first round in six previous attempts on foreign soil. This campaign with matches against Greece, Argentina and Nigeria offers the best chance yet. Four years ago, the team came close under Dick Advocaat. In Germany, South Korea collected four points from the three matches, a tally that would have been enough in some groups but not the one that mattered. This team looks superior to the 2006 version with young stars such as Lee Chung-yong, Ki Sung-youg and Park Chu-young already playing in Europe and ready to offer their speed and skill along side experienced stars such as Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung and well-travelled defenders such as Lee Young-pyo and Cha Du-ri. The game with Greece is not the be all and end all. A win doesn’t guarantee a place in the next round, Korea know this better than anyone else after failing to progress in Germany despite an opening match victory over Togo, and failing to win is not the end of the dream. France collected just two points from its first two matches in 2006 and still made the final. What defeat does however is pile on the already significant pressure and leaves no room for error. A draw would not be a disaster but the time has gone when Korea would have been satisfied with a such a result against a middling European team. This is a new generation and is battle-hardened and confident. South Korea will be looking to beat the Greeks on Saturday to put itself in the position where it can watch the match between Argentina and Nigeria later the same day in a comfortable position. Greece feel the same. "As everybody knows, the first match is the crunch match," said defender Nikos Spiropoulos. "It's essential to get a winning result. We will have to deal with a very disciplined team. I hope that on Saturday we'll be as fit as possible to achieve that goal." “We know we have a key game against South Korea,” agrees midfielder Christos Patsatzoglou. “If we win, we are in a position to try to qualify for the next round. It's very important not to lose, everybody knows that." "Park Ji-sung is definitely their top player," he said. "We've seen lots of DVDs of South Korea, but not only of Park in action. All their players are good and work well as a team. It's important for us to be focused and get the win." Greece are without defender Vangelis Moras thanks to an ankle injury while the major injury doubt for Korea is Lee Dong-gook. The striker has recovered from a hamstring injury more quickly than coach Huh expected though won’t start. "Lee has improved a lot,” Huh said. “He may even play a little during the group opener with Greece.” There are other issues to be resolved. With veteran goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae keep his place between the sticks despite a relative lack of form in 2010? Or will the much younger and lither Jung Sung-ryeong don the gloves? Who will partner Park Chu-young in attack assuming that coach Huh plays 4-4-2? Yeom Ki-hun of Suwon Bluewings looks likeliest to get the nod. But we shall see the answers to those questions, and much more, on Saturday. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters World Cup football

On a surprisingly warm and humid mid-May Monday morning, the South Korean national team players were taking it easy at Paju National Football Center, around 40 kilometres north of Seoul. Most were reading the newspapers, ones that had front pages covered with the same picture, that of Lee Sung-ryeol and Lee Chung-yong celebrating. Both players scored the previous evening in a 2-0 win over Ecuador that started the final phase of preparations for the 2010 World Cup on a high. It wasn’t a vintage performance but as it marked the first time the European-based players had joined up with the local lads since October 2009, nobody expected an instant clicking together. Ecuador didn’t bring its European-based stars and while the South Americans defended fairly robustly, they didn’t trouble the host too much at the other end of the field. Some were happier than others. Lee Sung-ryeol had just been introduced as a substitute in the second half when he scored a fine goal. The 21 year-old FC Seoul striker twisted past two yellow-shirted defenders on the edge of the area. With that shot, the fresh-faced forward probably booked his place on the plane for South Africa but four of his team-mates were not been so lucky. The mood at Paju seemed relaxed but the unlucky quartet was told on Monday afternoon that their dreams of World Cup glory were over and they would not be part of the twenty-three that will make the final trip to play against Greece in Port Elizabeth on June 12, Argentina in Soweto on June 17 and Nigeria down in Durban on June 22. At the end of April, Huh named a preliminary roster of 30, That was reduced to 26 on Monday. Defenders Hwang Jae-won and Kang Min-soo didn’t make the cut while midfielders Kim Chi-woo and, a little surprisingly, Cho Won-hee fell by the wayside. These drip-drip tactics are not the norm and can be cruel for the players. Three more will have their dreams dashed right at the end when Huh names his final 23 on May 31 but for now, all are happy as they head to Japan for a final warm-up before leaving Asia. Next Monday’s match in Saitama is a big one for both teams. Talking to Park Ji-sung just before training, he admitted that there was no such thing as a ‘friendly’ match between the two nations. The game has been criticized by sections of the Japanese and Korea press. This thinking goes that two big rivals meeting just before the World Cup is a recipe for injuries. The Manchester United man however said that it was the best chance for the team to sample competitive football before the big event starts. This time however, it is the Japanese who are more desperate to win than its long-time rival. 2010 has seen a number of poor results at home for the Samurai Blue not least a 3-1 defeat at the hands of South Korea in Tokyo in February. I was present in Osaka in April as a reserve Serbia team won 3-0 to cause a crescendo of jeers to be heard around the Nagai Stadium. The earlier Korea defeat was when both teams were shorn of their European-based stars. This time will be very different. Japan really will not want to suffer another setback just before it leaves. A third consecutive defeat at home would be tough to take and with the team preparing for a tough World Cup group against the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon, confidence would be rocked. Korea always love to win these games but a defeat wouldn’t be a disaster in terms of the bigger picture however much it may rankle in Seoul. Three comfortable wins – over Japan, Ivory Coast and Ecuador – have the players feeling good. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

It was a shame that snow and ice caused Bolton Wanderers’ match with Wigan Athletic to be postponed earlier this week as Lee Chung-yong is currently red hot in his white shirt. His team-mates call him ‘Chungy’ which may cause a few pained expressions back home but the overwhelming emotion in South Korea at Lee’s English exploits is excitement. The 21 year-old winger left FC Seoul in the summer to sign for Premier League club Bolton Wanderers. The team has struggled in the first half of the league campaign though there are signs that a corner is being turned. Amid the gloom just north of Manchester, the young Korean star has been a fairly constant bright spot. Lee has scored three goals for the Whites and created more for others. His exciting skills, a willingness to run at defenders and his all round attitude and hard-work mean that Bolton fans have taken the Asian into their hearts. Nobody at home doubted his ability. In the space of two short years he had become probably the most exciting talent in the K-League and established himself in the national team at an unusually young age. The only black mark against his Korean career was the fact that he occasionally lost his cool on the pitch. His lack of years was a mitigating factor but his immaturity suggested that a struggle to adapt to life off the field in the north-west of England. His slight frame also suggested that he may not be able to handle the rough-and-tumble on it. So far it has not been a problem. Lee’s speed and quick feet often leave bigger opponents floundering in his wake and he is really starting to enjoy his football. In mid-December, the former FC Seoul star grabbed his third of the season as Bolton defeated relegation rivals West Ham 3-1. With the scoreline deadlocked at 0-0, Lee’s smart finish broke the deadlock and sent the team on the way to victory. He also created the vital second goal. It followed another excellent performance four days earlier as Bolton held big-spending Manchester City to a 3-3 draw. For the second time in less than a week, Lee was named by much of the English media as his team’s best player in that game too. “It is great to be playing regularly and I hope that I can score more goals over the rest of the season when the opportunities come,” Lee told Korean television after his West Ham performance. “I seem to be lucky as we have won all three games in which I have scored.” The Seoul media are excited. Scores of articles appeared lauding the star and more were written about what the English media was writing. Lee’s success is a shot in the arm for journalists getting bored of Park Ji-sung’s absence from Manchester United’s starting eleven. It would be a brave decision by Bolton head coach Gary Megson to leave out the youngster. The Englishman has much to thank Lee for. Megson has never been a popular figure among Bolton supporters and is he always just a couple of bad results away from serious pressure. Lee has been a big success story. His exploits on the pitch have not only helped the Wanderers pick up valuable points, he has lightened some of the load on the shoulders of his boss. In return, Megson showered Lee with praise. "He is getting stronger, his English is getting better and we are absolutely delighted with how he has settled in. He is getting very close to the other players - everybody likes him,” Megson said. "He has terrific qualities and he is starting now to get a bit of recognition up and down the country. He is getting goals and hopefully his confidence will come more and more and he will become a really big player for us. For the risk he took and also we took when we came together, we couldn't be more pleased." At the moment, everyone is pleased. Tags Soccer News football

Every summer the press is full of speculation about which Korean player is going where. A potential transfer to one of the big leagues in Europe is a major generator of headlines in the numerous sports dailies on sale in Seoul and well as the innumerable portals that litter the internet. It works both ways. As well as players like Lee Chung-yong who head west, there are those who come in the opposite direction and come home after stints in Europe. Last year Lee Dong-gook, who spent 18 fairly miserable months in England with Middlesbrough, came back to the K-League late last year, just in time to spend a short – and fairly miserable time- with Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. This year though, he relocated to Jeonju and is starring for title challengers Jeonbuk Motors.

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.

The South Korean season ended just as winter started. The weekend of the championship play-off final second leg dawned with temperatures in some parts of the peninsula approaching 20 below. The cities of Suwon and Seoul were not far behind. As the snow fell in the second half of the second leg of he championship decider between Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul on Sunday afternoon, few of the 41,000 fans present noticed –some were bare-chested and many short-sleeved. The atmosphere was red-hot and the action on the pitch riveting as Suwon won 2-1 to take the final 3-2 on aggregate and the trophy for a fourth time. As the final whistle blew, the Seoul stars sank to their knees, Suwon’s hugged as if their lives depended on it and the man in charge of the PA pressed the button that piped out the inevitable opening strains of ‘we are the champions’. It was a worthy win for Suwon, a team that spent the majority of the season in first place. Seoul have a talented and youthful team but don’t yet have Suwon’s savvy or swagger. That will come as the likes of Ki Sung-yung, Lee Chung-yung and Lee Sung-ryeol will get better, though a move to Europe is only a matter of time. Suwon have been there and seen it but even among the club’s passionate fans, few would have experienced an atmosphere like the one conjured on a Sunday when the north, east and west sides were blue and the south red. “I told the players that they are the real champions,” a jubilant Cha Bum-keun told reporters after the match. “We struggled during the middle part of the season but because of the players, we came thrugh it to win the K-League as well as the League Cup. They have played hard all season and have won 25 games in all competitions and have scored lots of goals. I told them not to forget all they have done this season.” They are not likely to forget the win or the fight they were given by their bitter rivals. Like the first leg in Seoul four days previously, there was little to choose between the two. Edu, the bearded and talented Brazilian, shot the Bluewings into the lead after just 11 minutes. It has been a good season for the affable attacker and his shot from the edge of the area was always destined for the bottom corner. Seoul equalized just 14 minutes later. Lee Chung-yung went to ground a little too easily under the challenge of international colleague Lee Woon-jae. The German referee pointed to the spot and Jung Jo-gook, known as the patriot, made it look easy. The game was balanced on a knife-edge. The two finished the regular season occupying the top two spots in the league standings, had defeated the other once each and were exactly level in the final. There was a sense that one more goal would win it and so it proved. For some reason Kim Chi-gon lunged into a tackle deep inside the penalty area, Edu was quite happy to fall over Kim’s leg to win a penalty. Song Chong-guk may not be the star that he was in 2002 when he was named by many as South Korea’s best player of the World Cup but he was the toast of Suwon on Sunday night. His penalty was initially saved by Kim Ho-jun but Song reacted first to the loose ball to score what proved to be the winner. As Seoul tried its best to restore parity, tempers between the two rival teams rose as the sands of second half time fell along with the snow. “I would like to congratulate Suwon but after watching both games, we should have won. I am sorry for the club and the fans. If we had won, our young players would have gained lots of confidence,” Seoul boss Senol Gunes said after the match. “In the first game, we lacked in the physical department but in the second leg our passing was off. We got some chances in the second half but weren’t able to finish. The players tried their best and fought well. It was great to see so many Seoul fans in the stadium on a very cold day." Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

With winter on the horizon, the big games are coming thick and fast as the end of the regular K-League season also comes into view. It is a time when some teams are going all out in an attempt to grab what is on offer while others are more concerned with protecting what they have. For the first time since April 2007, FC Seoul is the team with the most. The capital club moved to the top of the standings on Sunday with a narrow 1-0 win over previous leaders Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Seoul, playing with one striker for the first time all season in the first half were nervous and Seongnam were sloppy, slow and disjointed. It wasn’t pretty but the fans who braved a chilly autumn afternoon and 87 minutes of fairly turgid football were rewarded with a moment of beauty. Substitute striker Lee Sang-hyub connected to a deep Lee Chung-young cross inside the area to lash a left-footed volley into the back of the Seongnam net. It was Seoul’s first victory over Seongnam for three seasons and more importantly, it has made the team start to believe that it could actually win the league championship. Fans across the Land of the Morning Calm will be tuned into their televisions on Wednesday to see if Seoul has finally managed to combine mental mettle with fancy footwork. The men in black and red make the short journey south to Suwon - the home of their fiercest rivals and closest challengers Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The two teams lie level on 48 points and only the fact that Seoul has scored one more goal puts them in pole position. The hosts are rubbing their hands in anticipation at upsetting the Seoul bandwagon once again. Early in 2007, Seoul was riding high at the top of the table when Suwon arrived to win and send Seoul sliding down the table with a run of seven matches without a win. This season Seoul again started well and was once again defeated at home by the men in blue. The reaction in the capital was different in 2008 however as that defeat signalled the start of an impressive unbeaten run that has now stretched to an impressive 18 matches. “Playing Seoul at home is a good chance for us to recover our first place in the league,” Suwon boss Cha Bum-keun told reporters. Since an 11-match winning streak sent Suwon nine points clear in June, the Bluewings have stuttered a little. Those recent wobbles will be forgotten and forgiven if Suwon can not only defeat Seoul but also take the top spot with two matches of the regular season remaining. The stakes could be a little higher, but not much, especially as Seongnam is just a point behind in third place and eager to bounce back from its defeat at the weekend. “It’s not over yet,” said a smiling Senol Gunes after the Seongnam win which provoked wild scenes of jubilation at Sangam Stadium in the north-west of the city. “Defeating Suwon on Wednesday is a bigger target.” Since arriving in Korea, Gunes has only won two out of nine meetings with the Bluewings. “There are still three games to go, starting with Suwon. If we win all three then we will finish in first place. The win against Seongnam is for our fans and through this kind of result we aim to attract more fans to the stadium next season.” For now however, the focus is firmly on the end of this season. After Wednesday, there are just two games of the regular season remaining before the six-team play-off series begins. Finishing in the top two places in the K-League not only makes those play-offs significantly less taxing, it also grants access to the 2009 Asian Champions League. As the temperatures around the southern half of the peninsula start finally to fall, the race for the K-League is getting hotter by the day. 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