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

The line between success and failure is a fine one, especially in the English Premier League, generally regarded as the world’s top football competition. In the case of South Korean striker Lee Dong-guk, that line was about as wide as a goalpost. The Lion King moved to Middlesbrough in January 2007. His debut came a month later against Reading. Lee was introduced as a substitute with around eight minutes remaining. Seven minutes later, England international winger Stewart Downing fired over a perfect cross from the left side. Lee was unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box and let fly with his right foot. He wasn’t the only one in the stadium to put his head in his hands after the ball bounced off the post and rolled agonizingly away. Though he wasn’t to know it at the time, that was the closest Lee was ever going to come to scoring a goal in the world’s richest league and things could have been a lot different. As it stands, the striker is about to be shipped out of England’s northeast. If there was any doubt about that, it was dispelled last week by head coach Gareth Southgate. "… He has not played as well as we might have hoped,” said the former England captain. “For him and for the team I think it's been better to involve other players really.” The softly-spoken Southgate has given the Korean ample opportunities to prove that he has what it takes. Eight starts and 15 substitute appearances may not be as much as the player wanted but in the modern high-pressure world of elite football where coaches can be fired after three or four poor results, it is more than many get. With Lee’s contract finishing in May; it is now time to move to another club though finding one in the Premier League could prove to be as fruitless as his attempts to find the net. The 29 year-old may have to look elsewhere. The player has already indicated that he has no desire to return to the K-League and former club Pohang Steelers. There will be possibilities however, there always are. Lee’s reputation has taken a bit of a battering in recent months but the striker has proven in the past that he can score against top-class international opposition such as Germany, Sweden and Mexico. Lee could be best served by moving to the mainland, perhaps the Netherlands. He may not be the only Korean heading south across the North Sea. Tottenham Hotspur’s Lee Young-pyo has played more Premier League games than any of his compatriots but has recently fallen out of favor at the London club. With time on the bench accumulating, it didn’t take the defender long to start thinking fondly of former club PSV Eindhoven, in the manner of a cheating husband who has realized that the grass on the other side of the fence may be green and glamorous but it quickly forgets those who don’t play on it. “ PSV are my team, I miss them a lot,” he said recently. For its part, the Dutch club is ready to forgive Lee who publicly demanded a transfer out of the southern Netherlands back in the summer of 2005. According to reports, PSV technical director Stan Valckx said recently: "He was a good player for us and will always be welcomed here. His contract does not expire until 2009, so it is still a long way to go. But if he wants to leave before then, then we are very interested." Of the remaining two players in England’s top league, Seol Ki-hyeon is also very likely to be on the move. The mercurial attacker hasn’t played for London club Fulham since January 19. Seol has flattered to deceive in England and his time there looks to be running out. It is not all doom and gloom because there is the small matter of Park Ji-sung at Manchester United. The 27 year-old has featured heavily in recent games for the club which is in touching distance of glory both in England and in Europe. Games don’t come much bigger than a European Champions league semi-final against Barcelona and Park is likely to play at least some part in both legs, the first of which takes place Wednesday evening in Spain. A proud Korean media is hardly daring to contemplate the possibility of the Park playing in the biggest club game in the world in Moscow at the end of May. Such an event would more than make up for the struggles of his three Premier League companions. 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

It’s been a long time coming. After almost nine months on the sidelines, Park Ji-sung is set to return to action for Manchester United this week. His absence has been keenly felt - perhaps more in Seoul than in the English city. With compatriots in other Premier League clubs struggling to make an impact on the pitch, the sight of the busy South Korean sporting the famous red shirt is one that everybody has been waiting for. It was a bright early spring when the 26 year-old sustained a knee injury. At the time, it didn’t seem so serious and his expected absence was short – a good thing as, just prior to the injury, Park had been playing his best football since joining the club from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2005. The scenario was similar that of Lee Dong-guk almost exactly one year previously. Lee had been in perhaps the best form of his career in March and April 2006 in the K-League. He was scoring goals for fun for Pohang Steelers and had established himself as Korea’s number one striker just ahead of the 2006 World Cup. On an early April evening against Incheon United, Lee scored a delightful first-half volley and then was carried off the pitch in the second half. The seriousness of his injury wasn’t immediately apparent. Lee, now at Middlesbrough, missed the World Cup while Park was forced to watch his Manchester United team-mates lift the English Premier League trophy in May and exit the Champions League at the semi-final stage at the hands of AC Milan. After it became apparent that his injury was more serious than first thought, Park went under the knife in the US for an operation that was, according to his father, career-saving. The road to recovery has been a long one and the player’s journey has been accompanied by the expected countless number of headlines. His ability to walk without the aid of crutches was well-reported (unfortunately, a headline like "A Walk In The Park" doesn't work in Korean) as was his return to the gym (neither does "Park Bench Press"). Around two weeks ago he resumed full-training with the first team squad and as coach Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters last week, he is looking good. "He played in the practice game on Sunday and was absolutely outstanding. I hadn't registered him for Europe at the start of the season because we didn't think he would be back until January with his injury.” Park could return against Everton on December 23 and for Korean fans it will be a welcome Christmas present. Saturday nights without Park don’t have the same appeal, for viewers or advertisers, in Seoul. It is not only broadcasters who are happy to see the return of the familiar mop-top. Internet sports sites have all recorded greater traffic levels as excitement grows as the time of Park’s return nears. United haven’t done too badly without the former PSV Eindhoven star. After winning the title, the Red Devils went shopping in the summer and bought stars such as Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson, big-money players who have all smoothly settled into the set-up. Fighting for an almost automatic place won’t be the first challenge that Park has faced and it won’t be the first time that he has had the whole Korean nation behind him. 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

Where to start? The climax of the K-League season has been overshadowed by tales of ‘The four partymen’ –the collective label given to Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-guk, goalkeeper and captain Lee Woon-jae, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma skipper Kim Sang-sik and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I forward Woo Sung-young.