It is true to say that in football, the strikers are the ones who get the goals and get the headlines. Goalkeepers can play fantastically well for a full 89 minutes out of a fantastic match but one mistake and all know what the internet and newspapers will focus on. Lee Dong-guk is one of the biggest stars in the league. It seems that he has been around for over but he is still scoring goals and lots of them. As well as 14 in the regular season so far, the Lion King, so named after his hairstyle at the 1998 World Cup when he burst onto the scene, has been on fire in the Asian Champions League. With the continental competition at the last four stage, Lee is now the leading goalscorer in the tournament with eight goals so far to his name. Incredibly, six of those goals came in two games against Japanese team Cerezo Osaka. Both teams met in the group stage with both games ending 1-0 to the home side. The quarter-final was a completely different story with goals galore. The first leg in Japan ended 4-3 to Cerezo with Lee scoring twice. The second leg was expected to be similarly close if not with as many goals. Last Tuesday evening at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, the opposite proved to be the case as there were goals galore as Jeonbuk won 6-1 with Lee getting four. “It is the first time for me to score four goals in an official match,” said Lee. “We really want to win the Asian title but we also have to focus on the K-League.” it was one of the best nights of the player’s career. It has been a long career and in European eyes, he will always be remembered for a season and a half in the English Premier League with Middlesbrough FC. It wasn’t a happy time for the player. He arrived at the club in January 2007 and within minutes of appearing in the red shirt for the first time, he had a great opportunity to score only to fire a shot against the post. A few centimetres to the left and perhaps things would have turned out differently. As it was, while he managed to score in cup competitions, Lee never did it where it really matter – in the most popular league in the world. When his name is mentioned these days by the international media, words such as ‘Middlesbrough flop’ or ‘Premier League failure’ are often not far away. He returned to Korea in 2008 and after a brief and unsuccessful spell at Seongnam, he has settle well in Jeonju. Not as fast, mobile or strong as he used to be due to injuries, especially a serious knee injury that ruled him out of the 2006 World Cup when he was the national team’s star striker and at the peak of his powers, Lee is still able to find the net when it matters. Eight goals so far in the Asian Champions League, he is on course to win the competition’s golden boot. His goals have helped Jeonbuk to the top of the K-League table. Inevitably a return to the national team is now being discussed. Lee made the 2010 World Cup squad but never made the pitch. New coach Cho Kwang-rae tends to like younger players but has not ruled a Lee return out. He hasn’t been summoned in the roster for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against UAE next Tuesday in Seoul and it is unlikely that he will be but if he continues to score the goals that give Jeonbuk a second K-League title and a second Asian Champions League win, then the Lion King’s career could have one final twist in the tail. Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

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.Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

For fans in South Korea, the 2010 World Cup is put on a backburner this weekend as the fourth East Asian championships are held in Japan. The biennial four-nation tournament, which runs from February 6 to 14, is often a feisty affair as you would expect as it features regional rivals China, Japan, South Korea and one other from this part of the world. That has been North Korea for the past two occasions but this time round, the 1966 World Cup quarter-finalists failed to qualify and Hong Kong will fill the fourth spot instead. There is still some spice however as the former British colony is coached by a South Korean, Kim Pan-gon, hoping to make headlines at home. The prize for lifting the trophy, which has been contested three times and gone to South Korea twice and China once, is mostly measured in terms of regional pride though it does come with a prize of $500,000. It is not a huge event in the world of soccer but for fans in Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul, the chance to put one over on neighbours and rivals is always welcome. This year is a little different as it is the first time the tournament has been held in the run-up to the World Cup and while Japan and Korea, both qualifiers for the June tournament in South Africa, would be delighted to win, thoughts are on the bigger picture. Japan and South Korea see tough and competitive games in Tokyo as ideal preparation for the big ones in South Africa. Japan has been drawn in the same group as the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon in June, and has been struggling a little to find committed opposition. In October, Japan was disappointed at the lack of challenge presented by Togo and Scotland who travelled east shorn of their stars. "We wanted two tough matches but you can only beat the opposition in front of you,” said Japan coach Takeshi Okada at the time. Now Okada is looking forward the upcoming tests. “The East Asian Championship is a chance to take our game up a level further. Unlike the games we had at the end of last year, this time I'm expecting a serious challenge." Okada and his team need a challenge if he is to meet the targets that he has set for his team at the World Cup – a spot in the semifinal to match South Korea’s achievements in 2002. “I said I wanted to shock the world,” Okada said recently. “If South Korea reached the semifinals, then why can’t we? Motivation is the key for the players who want to make it to our World Cup squad. We will only pick players who are serious about giving it their best shot and trying to reach the semi-finals.” No extra motivation is needed for players on either side when Japan and Korea. The Taeguk Warriors have just returned from a three-week training camp. The three games in South Africa, getting a taste of playing soccer in the relatively high altitude of the Rainbow Nation, didn’t go too well with a defeat against Zambia in the first match. Results improved slightly and the two subsequent matches in Spain against Finland and Latvia both ended in wins. The lack of goals from his strikers has concerned coach Huh Jung-moo, who like his Japanese counterpart is also hoping that the East Asian Cup can give his team some much-needed hard work. "During the two training camps and five friendlies, I noted the strong and weak points of the players. It was a good experience for them." Much attention in the Korean media has been on the stuttering form of striker Lee Dong-gook. The 2009 K-League top scorer found the back of the net 21 times last season for champion Jeonbuk Motors but after earning a recall to the national team, he has yet to show the same kind of ruthlessness. There are signs that coach Huh is losing patience with the man who was omitted from the 2002 squad and injured in 2006. "The players did their job properly in their respective positions but we must improve the killer instinct,” said Huh. "We lost many clear chances and were not sharp enough in front of the goal. The players must show more technique and have physical strength to get a World Cup call-up. South Korea’s opening game on Sunday is against Hong Kong. Then come games against China on Wednesday and Japan on Sunday. Contests with the latter pair are always intense. These days, China is just desperate to defeat Korea as it has simply never done so. The two teams have met 27 times in their history with Korea winning 16 and the other 11 ending in a tie. China’s ‘Koreaphobia’ is alive and well and sure to be mentioned a number of times by the Korean media over the next few days. Huh got his first win in charge of the Taeguk Warriors in this competition against China in February 2008 and while he may have his sights set on South Africa, he won’t want to become the first ever coach to lose to China. What he is hoping the tournament will help him do however is become the first coach to lead South Korea past the first round at a World Cup held overseas. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags Soccer News football

The 2009 K-League season was a special one for a certain southwestern region as Jeolla Province welcomed the golden championship trophy for the first time ever. No longer can Jeonbuk Motors claim to be the only team on the continent to have won the Asian title without ever winning the domestic prize. The car metaphor can be driven too far but the Motors were well-oiled from March to December. The team from Jeonju accelerated into top gear quickly, maintained top speed for most of the journey and despite a couple of bumps in the road and slippery patches, the engine was in just as good a condition at the end of the journey as it was at the beginning. A late goal from Lim Sang-hyub gave Jeonbuk a draw at Gyeongnam on the first day of the season back in March and from then, the team never looked back. Six wins came from the next seven games with the only ‘failure’ a 1-1 tie at the home of Asian champions Pohang Steelers. Seven-time champions Seongnam were thrashed 4-1 and Jeju lost 5-0 at home while the favourites for the title, FC Seoul also came off second best. Battling it out with Seoul and Pohang for first spot, Jeonbuk ended in identical fashion, collecting 19 points out of a possible 21 in the run-in. Such form enabled the team in green to finish top of the standings at the end of regular season. That didn’t mean the title however as in Korea, there are still championship play-offs to negotiate. They proved no problem as Jeonbuk defeated Seongnam Ilhwa in the final in early December –recording a 3-1 win that kept 37,000 fans warm in chilly temperatures. There is no doubt as to which player grabbed the headlines. Lee Dong-gook did not have the best of times from 2006 to the start of 2009. ‘The Lion King’ missed the 2006 World Cup through injury, and then moved to England at the start of 2007. Those 18 months in the English Premier League with Middlesbrough didn’t go well and Lee returned to Korea in the second half of 2008. His subsequent short spell with Seongnam did not go well either and he headed to Jeonbuk before the start of the new season. The 30 year-old may have failed in England’s northeast but he has been a big success in Korea’s southwest with 20 goals coming from Lee’s feet or head in 27 games. It is great to be here and scoring goals,” he said just before the season ended. “I am enjoying my football and playing with some very good players.” His words were as accurate as his feet in this case. Lee has the headlines but the supporting cast was impressive. Just like Jeonju’s famous dish of Bi Bim Bap, Jeonbuk’s offence has contained a healthy mix of different ingredients with Lee’s goals providing the kochujang , the hot pepper sauce that gives the dish the kick it needs. A glance of the list of the players who recorded the most assists during the season reveals that Jeonbuk players occupy the top three spots. Choi Tae-wook and Brazilians Luiz Henrique and Eninho have contributed greatly to Jeonbuk’s success as well as the club’s easy-on-the-eye style of play. At the back, Kim Sang-sik, jettisoned by Seongnam at the end of last season, was impressive for his new club while goalkeeper Kwon Soon-tae and fellow defender Choi Chul-soon were the model of consistency despite rarely grabbing the headlines Jeonbuk has never grabbed the league title until now. Things are changing in Korean football and Jeolla Province now has its seat at the top table of soccer powers in the Land of the Morning Calm. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags Soccer News football

You may not think that a match in Seoul against Paraguay on Wednesday marks the start of the road to the 2010 World Cup for South Korea but it does. It is the first of what will amount to close to 20 preparation games for the Taeguk Warriors as they set their sights on South Africa. Everything is now geared towards next June. Unlike most Asian nations, the Koreans don’t even have to worry about qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup - that spot was clinched automatically after third place at the 2007 version. Coach Huh Jung-moo just has to think globally. The game against Paraguay marks the first non-Asian opposition for the team since January 2008 – the first game of Huh’s reign. That match against the headline-writer’s dream that is Chile, was also the first and, to date, only loss that the team has suffered under the grizzled tactician.

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.

East Asia has long struggled to produce prolific goalscorers and most clubs import attackers from Brazil, Africa and Eastern Europe. It is a chicken-and-egg situation. Do clubs buy foreign forwards because there isn’t enough local talent or is there not enough local talent because clubs pack their offensive lines with overseas stars? Whatever the reason, in Japan, China and South Korea, imports usually top the goalscoring charts. In 2008, the top four scorers in the K-league all hailed from outside the land of the Morning Calm. Things are different this time round. At present, only three foreigners make it into the top ten.

In Korean football, you are nothing without a nickname. You don’t have to be called to the national team to get one but it helps. This season, we have seen the return to form of a number of old heads and the appearance of some long-unused aliases headlines in the huge portals.

It was a year ago when the news started to break. Reporters from Korean internet company Newsis traveled to Jakarta to visit a ‘room salon’ and chat with the female staff. The story soon unfolded of how, during the 2007 Asian Cup held that July, four South Korean national team players visited the establishment on two occasions and drank until dawn - once before a vital game against Bahrain and then once after, following the shock 2-1 defeat. Goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, defender Kim Sang-sik and strikers Lee Dong-guk and Woo Sung-young were the senior members of the squad and the anger and disappointment at home was widespread. The Korean FA acted quickly and banned the quartet from national team duty for a year. Weeks before the ban ended, a debate started. It asked whether there should be a recall for the foursome for the Saudi Arabian 2010 World Cup qualifier on November 19. Woo, at 34, would not have been in the picture anyway and only made the Asian Cup squad due to a number of injuries. Kim is 33 in January and is one of the K-League’s more accomplished players but with a number of youngsters on the rise, his time is probably over. Left were the two Lees and only one got in. Lee Woon-jae was the Asian Cup captain and at 35, is the oldest of the lot. He is also still the best goalkeeper in the K-League and hasn’t been adequately replaced. Kim Yong-dae, Kim Young-kwang and Jung Sung-ryeong have all donned the gloves but none have done enough to stop coach Huh Jung-moo pining for old faithful. After a disappointing 2-2 draw against Jordan in May, Huh told reporters that he wanted Lee back –more than six months ahead of time. "The situations which we allowed the goals weren't understandable," Huh told reporters. "The coaching staff has been discussing whether to request for Lee's reinstatement for sometime now,'' he said. "Lee has been playing well in the K-League, and those who perform on the pitch should get a chance to represent their country." Lee had been playing well but it was precisely his performances away from the pitch that stopped him from playing. The KFA refused Huh’s request, leading the boss to pretend that he hadn’t really made it in the first place. Ironically, if Huh had kept quiet for some time longer, the KFA probably would have ended the ban a little early. But after Huh’s comments, the governing body was keen to be seen to be strict. Lee Dong-guk was in England when the news of the Jakarta high jinks broke and was spared the tearful press conference at KFA house. He was also spared the hours of community service that the others did –though it could be argued that he has already served his time due to his 18 months in England helping other strikers look good -until he came back to the K-League in the summer to join Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. That all changed at the start of the month with two goals in two games and with Lee seemingly back in the groove, his name is in the headlines and there are calls for him to be reinstated to the national team. Not just yet however. “Lee has to complete his 40 hours of community service before he can be considered for the South Korean national team,” said a KFA spokesman after the ex-international striker scored a second goal in successive games. It is not a desperate situation. After seven goals in the last two national team games – four from young hotshot Lee Keun-ho – coach Huh would be sending the wrong message summoning the Lion King so soon. The existing strikers have at least earned the right to lead the line in Riyadh on November 19. There is then a wait of three months for the game in Iran – if Lee continues playing well for Seongnam until the end of the season and completes his community service then there may still be a chance. But that is not a given. After a poor display and a number of missed chances against title rivals FC Seoul on Sunday and spending Saturday’s defeat against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on the bench, it may be some time before the Lion King gets a chance to roar in the shirt of the Taeguk Warriors. 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

Football is non-stop these days. No sooner did the European club season finish then the European championships started for 16 nations. Now just days after Spain lifted the continental trophy most clubs have started pre-season training and talk in the big leagues is who will go where before the new season gets underway. What about South Korea’s overseas contingent? Well, it is a summer of uncertainty for many though that certainly can’t be said for perennial golden boy Park Ji-sung. Slight knee troubles apart, the 27 year-old is set for a good season in Manchester. It is only two months since the attacker collected a second English Premier League medal and less than that since the club lifted the European Champions League trophy. It was a successful season for Park and next season, providing he steers clear of injury could be even better. This time last year he was recovering from major knee surgery and still five months away from a return to action and the fact that United coach Sir Alex Ferguson was more than active in the transfer market didn’t help. This has been a quiet summer so far at Old Trafford though that could change very quickly if Real Madrid gets its way and buys star player Christiano Ronaldo for a world record transfer deal. There are likely to be few records broken elsewhere. Lee Young-pyo, who starred at PSV Eindhoven along Park from 2002-2005 is set to leave Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and return to the Dutch team. After two and a half steady, if unspectacular, seasons in North London, Lee fell out of favor with Spanish boss Juande Ramos around the turn of the year and had to watch much of the second half of the season from the bench. At the age of 31 and with his place in the national team under serious threat, Lee needs to be playing regular football and is keen to head back across the North Sea to PSV and the Netherlands. Probably on his way out of Holland is Lee Chun-soo. The winger signed for Feyenoord for around $3 million last August. It hasn’t been a successful season for ‘The Millenium Kid’ in Rotterdam. He first suffered from homesickness and then an ankle injury. He is now back in Korea recovering from surgery and he could be about to stay in the Land of the Morning Calm permanently -if any Korean club is prepared to offer the asking price. Seol Ki-hyeon is keen to stay where he is. The Sniper is still a Fulham player and later this month will tour South Korea with the London club. When the games in Busan and Ulsan are over, he could also be out of the door at Craven Cottage. The powerful attacker hasn’t featured in a league match since January and with boss Roy Hodgson set to splash the cash ahead of the new season, Seol has to show that he is still worth a spot in the starting eleven. He is ready to do just that as he told reporters at Incheon airport last week (looking like a psychedelic rice farmer). “There has been nothing happening, I have just been resting. The important thing from now is to play as well to stay with the team.” Lee Dong-guk is definitely on the move, the only question is to where? The Lion King’s contract at Premier League club Middlesbrough ended last month with the striker having failed to score a single league goal since arriving in England in January 2007. It was a time to forget for the former Pohang Steelers star who is also banned from the national team until the end of this year. Lee would like to stay in England but anywhere in Europe would be acceptable. Until now however, Japanese clubs are the most interested suitors. There are no such worries for the ‘fifth Premier Leaguer’ - as he is known by the Seoul media – yet.. Kim Do-heon is a relative newcomer and only joined West Brom on a full transfer in May. The midfielder first headed to England in January on a loan deal. He did enough to secure a permanent deal and the Birmingham club did enough to earn promotion to England’s top division. There is still much time left this summer for deals to done and contracts signed and it will be interesting to see where the Korean stars end up when the first ball is kicked at the start of the 2008-09 European season. 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