There was no Shanghai Surprise . The only surprise was that some thought it was going to be any different. It could have been worse though, that was the one consolation for the few South Korean fans who, late Wednesday evening, had sat through a typically turgid Korean Derby. 1-1 was the score between the near neighbors in their 2010 World Cup qualification match in China. There were less than 1,000 fans present in Shanghai's Hongkou Stadium - a far cry from the 25,000 plus that watched March's match. Apart from the loss of the novelty factor as well as the will to live, the main reason for the difference in the fact that North Korea hiked ticket prices by around 500% for the cheapest tickets -the 'hosts'(the game had been moved from Pyongyang to Shanghai after communist authorities in North Korea refused to fly the southern flag and play the anthem) didn't want their fans to be as heavily outnumbered as before. The tie was the fourth straight stalemate between the two rivals in 2008 alone but after Hong Yong-jo shot the northern team ahead from the penalty spot in the second half, the Taeguk Warriors were relieved to come away from China with a point. That came courtesy of teenage midfielder Ki Sung-yung. The FC Seoul player is nicknamed ‘South Korea’s Gerrard’ due to his supposed resemblance to the Liverpool and England star and he showed why after 68 minutes. Chesting down a high ball, the 19 year-old, standing at the edge of the area, swiveled and then volleyed into the bottom corner. The smattering of southern-supporting fans didn’t care that opposition goalkeeper Ri Myung-guk really should have saved, rather than fell over, the low shot. Four minutes earlier, Hong had put the 1966 World Cup quarter-finalists ahead after he was fouled by southern skipper Kim Nam-il. The busy and speedy Hong was the best player on the pitch and is one that would be welcomed by coach Huh Jung-moo if he ever decided to defect. If he wants World Cup football, he may find that staying north of the 38th Parallel is a better bet. North Korea sits proudly on top of Group Two with four points from two games, following an impressive 2-1 win in the UAE four days previously. South Korea has one from one and nerves are jangling. The Seoul media was universally negative about the performance with the word of the night being ‘frustrating’. The headline of the night read: “This isn’t the football we were promised.” The promised land of South Africa less than two years from now is not an automatic destination for South Korea – it is going to take more inspiration that was on display in China to get there. Coach Huh knows that he is a man under pressure to get a win at home to UAE in Seoul in October. Huh pointed to the fact that not only was his team missing European-based players such as Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon but just before Wednesday’s match, two-thirds of his forward line, Shin Young-rok and Lee Chung-young were ruled out through injury. "The sudden injury problems had an influence on the game and put pressure on the players," Huh after the match. "I am not satisfied with the performance or the result. It was a tough game because of their defence. We knew it would be hard to break down and we tried our best." Later, Huh tried to look on the bright side. "It's not a bad result all in all. There will be wins and losses in football. I think we have the ability to be a strong side and the players are more than capable." They are more than capable of defeating UAE in Seoul next month. Failure to do so may not mean the end of World Cup hopes but would almost certainly mean the end of Huh Jung-moo. 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

South Korea restarts its journey on the road to South Africa and the 2010 World Cup tonight in Shanghai. Pyongyang was supposed to be the location but the qualifier against North Korea has been moved to China as the communist authorities in the DPRK capital refused to fly the Taegukki or play the Aegukga. It is the final round of qualification for the quadrennial football-fest. South Korea has participated in the last six tournaments and failure to make it a magnificent seventh doesn’t bear thinking about for footy-lovers in a nation that is currently bananas about baseball. The loss of prestige, sponsorships, experience, money and jobs would hit Korean football hard. Ten Asian nations, in football terms this includes Australia, have been split into two groups of five. The top two in each group automatically book their berths in South Africa. The two third-place teams face each other for the right to take on Oceania’s representative, probably New Zealand, in a winners-takes-all play-off match. On paper, North Korea is the weakest team in the group but it won 2-1 against the UAE in Abu Dhabi last weekend to get its campaign off to a good start. Iran and Saudi Arabia are the other two members of the group and drew 1-1 in Riyadh. Against North Korea tonight and the next match, at home to UAE in October, the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists need to get some points on the board before the two toughest tests –long and tricky trips to Tehran and Riyadh. That is in the future. Now is all about the North Koreans. Unlike the general populace either side of the 38th Parallel, the respective sets of players know each other very well. After not playing at all from 1993-2002, there have been three Korean Derbies so far in 2008 alone. All three finished in ties and while a similar result in Shanghai wouldn’t be a disaster, it would be slightly disappointing. Coach Huh Jung-moo wants victory. “It is always the same before a big game, we are naturally looking for the win,” Huh told reporters. “As the first game of the final round of qualifying, a victory against North Korea would mean a lot.” The squad he has selected may not feature European stars such as Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung, Seol Ki-hyeon of Fulham, Borussia Dortmund’s Lee Young-pyo and Park Chu-young of AS Monaco but it does look fresh, young and, dare one say, almost exciting. A 1-0 victory in Seoul against Jordan last Friday in a warm-up match wasn’t bad at all –though there were few fans there to witness it. There was some slick passing, nice moves and encouraging performances especially from the twinkle-toed teenager Lee Chung-young. The FC Seoul star scored his first goal in the national shirt and is steadily becoming one of the stars of the soccer scene in South Korea. “It is frustrating that we didn’t score more goals,” coach Huh said after the match. “The players also know that they need to try and score more goals. It was a good workout for us before the North Korea match. Now we are looking forward what should be a good game.” It probably won’t be. The two meetings in the previous round of qualification which took place in March and June respectively produced a total of no goals and not many more opportunities. North Korea is a team that defends and defends well and it showed against UAE that it can also be ruthless in attack - something that southern strikers have not been accused of for some time. But even so, a poor result and the pressure will be on coach Huh for the visit of UAE to Seoul in October. If that poor result stretches into a poor start, his job will be on the line. Even a defeat in Shanghai will start nerves jangling inside the Korean Football Association. The hard work starts now. 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

Another weekend gone and one more match closer to the 2010 World Cup. June is almost over and a place in the final round of world cup qualification is assured. It is time to take stock of a busy period that has raised a number of questions. The main issue is how the Taeguk Warriors will fare against stronger opposition when the action resumes in September. On Friday, the ten Asian teams that survived the just-finished third round will be split into two groups of five. The top two from each group will automatically book their places in South Africa. The two third-placed teams play-off for the right to face Oceania’s representative –the winner of that match goes to the World Cup. Confused? Well, then you know how the Korean defence has felt on a regular basis in the past few weeks. At times the backline has struggled against the attacks of Turkmenistan and Jordan, so it is worrying to consider what may happen against the craft of the Japanese, the speed of the Saudis or the skill of the Iranians. On the face of it six games in Group Three and a record of three wins and three draws is perfectly acceptable but it doesn’t tell the whole story. February It all started well with a 4-0 thrashing of Turkmenistan in Seoul. English-based stars Park Ji-sung and Seol Ki-hyeon starred. It was the perfect start though the media was concerned at how much better the overseas stars were than the K-Leagues. March The press was singing, along with the coach, a different tune at the end of March after a dull goalless draw against North Korea in Shanghai. This time Seol, as well as fellow London resident, Lee Young-pyo were partly blamed by the press and the boss for the unimaginative display. May The low point of the six games was the last 20 minutes against Jordan in Seoul on May 31. Cruising 2-0 against the West Asians, Jordan took advantage of some poor goalkeeping and defending to pull a goal back. Then everything went wrong and the team fell to pieces. In the end, it was almost a relief to tie 2-2 against a team then ranked 104 in the world by FIFA. The next day, coach Huh Jung-moo irresponsibly placed part of the blame on goalkeeper Kim Yong-dae. He also suggested that the Korean Football Association (KFA) should lift the ban on veteran shotstopper Lee Woon-jae. Lee’s late-night drinking exploits during the 2007 Asian Cup earned himself a 12-month enforced absence from the national team which ends in November. The KFA said it was too early. Huh said he never made the request anyway and it was all the media’s work. June It hadn’t been a good 48 hours for Korean football but to the team’s credit, it bounced back and won 1-0 in Jordan a week later. The performance wasn’t great, the defense again looked shaky but it was a good win in a tough environment. The same could be said of the 3-1 victory against Turkmenistan a week later. The team scored its only goal of the group against the Koreans and caused the visitors more trouble than it really should have been allowed to, but the hat-trick from Park Ji-sung replacement Kim Do-heon picked up another three points. Then came a second goalless draw at home against the North Koreans in Seoul, a dull game against a defensive-minded team. Next… There is work to do, starting on Friday when the identities of South Korea’s four opponents in the final stage will be revealed. The last time that South Korea failed to reach the World Cup was back in 1982, and hard work and a little imagination is needed to ensure that unwanted history is not made. 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

North Korean striker Jong Tae-se was battling with a throng of reporters in the bowels of Seoul World Cup Stadium after the 0-0 World Cup qualification draw. He was obviously not enjoying himself. No sooner had he been presented with a bunch of CDs from South Korea’s finest bands, he then had to field questions such as “Have you been to Lotte World?” The Kawasaki Frontale goalgetter grimaced, closed his eyes, and replied that he had not, in fact, seen the theme park in south-east of Seoul. “The People’s Rooney” is a star in the south and obviously unused to the attention of the press. The same could be same about defenders. Watched more carefully than before, Jong battled hard but got little change out of Lee Jung-soo and Kang Min-soo in the centre of the home backline. It was a friendly occasion. The home fans applauded the northern anthem, one of the very few times it has been heard in public south of the 38th Parallel. The match was played in good spirits though at the end it was noticeable that, unlike at Shanghai on March 26, the DPRK players applauded their fans only and not the Red Devils. The Taeguk Warriors paid respects to both sets of fans. The game was dull. North Korea preserved their impressive record of not conceding a goal in the group. The closest that came to being ruined was in the second half when Park Chu-young missed a glorious chance near the penalty spot. The visitors threatened little. Jung was quiet as was Hong Yong-jo. Ri Kwang Chon went the closest with a second half header. That was about as exciting as it got the 48,000 fans in the stadium. 40,000 tickets had been sold relatively quickly but once it became apparent that both teams had already qualified for the next stage, not many more people thought that traveling to the north-west edge of Seoul for a game that would finish around 10 pm on a Sunday was something they wanted to do. North Koreans can be surly visitors. At the airport, just a few ‘nice to meet yous’ and ‘we will do our bests’ and that is it as far as talking to the media is concerned until after the match itself. If you have a chance to chat to the DPRK’s overseas players individually, not possible while they are on national team duty in the south, they are friendly and full of questions but as a team, they give as much away off the pitch as the defence does on it. Due to the unique political situation between the two nations, arranging such games is a headache, especially for officials south of the border. Multiple meetings take place in Kaesong to thrash things out but even just four days before kick-off, a KFA official told me that he thought the North Koreans would ‘probably’ come. So, the thought of doing it all again would probably not be well-received in Seoul or Pyongyang. Maybe Jong will have to wait a little longer to sample the delights of ‘Lotte World.’ 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 Rainy Season arrived in Seoul on Wednesday, 24 hours before the North Koreans were due to touch down. Skies above the peninsula were more threatening than a Dutch counter-attack. The ‘Sunshine Policy’ of recent South Korean governments in regards to the communist North Korea had its critics who claimed that all the warmth was flowing one-way only. Last weekend however, the roles were reversed as the North Korean national soccer team did its southern counterpart a big favor during qualification for the 2010 World Cup. Fans in Seoul will get a chance to show their appreciation on Sunday night as north and south do battle at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. DPRK defeated Jordan 2-0 in Pyongyang early last Saturday evening. That result meant that the team was certain of a top two finish in Group Three and a place in the final round of qualification which starts in September. It also ensured that it would be joined by South Korea. It was a pleasant piece of news for the Taeguk Warriors four hours before they took the field against Turkmenistan. The fact that both Koreas are through with one game to spare in Group Three means that Sunday’s match will be lacking a competitive edge that could otherwise have made it very interesting. The two coaches won’t mind that one bit. It is an extra game and a welcome chance to iron out some of the rough spots that had become apparent during the previous four matches. For the south, there was another bonus against Turkmenistan – the three goals from midfielder Kim Do-heon. It was a ray of sunshine at the end of a week that had seen Park Ji-sung experience knee problems. Kim, drafted into the team to replace the Manchester United man, was the star of the show in the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat. The three goals will also have been well-received in England at Kim’s club, Premier League new boys West Bromich Albion. Now the sometimes shaggy-haired midfielder deserves to keep his place in the team for the ‘Korea Derby’ regardless of whether Park recovers. “It’s my wife’s birthday tomorrow and I wanted to give a present to our baby that will be born soon,” Kim told reporters. “It was a nice victory and it is good that now there is no pressure on us for the North Korea match.” Kim returned to Seoul on Sunday, in time to share seaweed soup with his wife and four days before the North Koreans. There were concerns they would never arrive and even now, FIFA and Korean Football Association (KFA) will breathe a sigh of relief when the plane from Beijing touches down in Incheon. The first inter-Korean match that was due to take place in Pyongyang in March 26 was relocated to Shanghai following a row over the playing of national anthems and the flying of flags. The South Koreans have demonstrated in recent years, especially at the 2005 East Asian Championships, that they don’t have a problem with the North Korean flag fluttering in the Land of the Morning Calm. Despite that the north still wasn’t too keen. In April, it was first reported that it wanted FIFA to move the game. Last week, the beef protests in Gwanghwamun provided another opportunity. Officials said they were concerned about the safety of their players, even the vegetarian ones. Once again, it was requested that Saturday’s game be relocated from Seoul to a third country or Jeju Island, famous for its pork. Once again, the KFA, backed by FIFA, refused and Huh Jung-moo was able to start focusing on the game. “North Korea is a very defensive team,” Huh Jung-moo said on Tuesday, pointing out that it had yet to concede a goal in five qualification matches. “We need to break through their defence line but also watch out for their counter-attacks.” Such sorties will likely be led by Jong Tae-se. For most southern fans it is the first chance to take a look at North Korea’s star striker. Jong, dubbed “The People’s Rooney” was born to South Korean parents in Japan and scored against his parents’ homeland in February at the East Asian Cup. “I am ready to show what I can do in Seoul,” he told reporters last week. “We are looking to win.” It doesn’t matter who wins now. It is all about getting ready for the next round. 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

Any meeting between the two Koreas on the football pitch is special but the fact that it is a qualifier for the 2010 World Cup adds a good deal of hot pepper sauce to an already unique dish of that old Korean favourite bibimbap. Temperatures were certainly rising recently as North Korea refused to play the Aegukka or fly the Taegukki at the massive Kim Sung-Il Stadium in Pyongyang. An offer of a rendition of Arirang and a joint flag didn’t fly at the Seoul offices of the Korean Football Association. The administrators opened FIFA’s rulebook and pointed to the relevant clause that requests all nations hosting World Cup qualifiers to provide both flags and anthems. The game’s global governing body decided to move the game to Shanghai. FIFA didn’t punish Pyongyang for its refusal to play by the rules but playing in China certainly takes away advantages from the ‘hosts’. Instead of 100,000 partisan fans on the other side of the DMZ, the 35,000 capacity Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai is likely to be less than full. Additionally, South Korea’s Premier, K and J-League stars were not looking forward to playing on the artificial pitch in North Korea. The long grass of Shanghai is more welcome. Less pleasing for the southern defenders will be another battle with Jong Tae-se, North Korea’s new weapon. Jong scored a fine goal when the two teams meet just six weeks ago during the East Asian championships in the Chinese city of Chongqing. The Japan-based forward has been the subject of much attention. Captain Kim Nam-il faced Jong again last week in the J-league and has warned his team-mates that they will need to be on their toes. “We saw in the East Asian Cup what he is capable of and we need to watch him until the very end of the game.” Southern defender Kwak Tae-hwi was one of a number of players who was brushed aside by the powerful Jong as he scored his goal and the Chunnam Dragons star is determined to ensure that Jong does not repeat his success. “This time I will stop him,” Kwak told reporters in Paju before leaving for China on Sunday. “Then I was too late with my tackle. When you face strong and fast attacking players you have to concentrate at all times and make quick decisions.” Coach Huh Jung-moo has been making a few decisions of his own, naming no less than five players without any prior national team experience in the roster of 23. Even with all the greenhorns available, the boss is likely to turn to tried and trusted stars such as Park Ji-sung. The Manchester United star has made the flight east, following three other English-based players- Lee Young-pyo of Tottenham, Fulham’s Seol Ki-hyeon and West Brom’s Kim Do-heon. All four have struggled to get some serious playing time recently and will be fresh, though perhaps not as sharp as Huh would like. North Korea arrived in Shanghai on Monday and quickly sped away from the aiport on the bus. Coach Kim Jong-hun then led his players to the stadium for a behind-closed doors training session. Both teams are looking to build on wins collected in the opening round of games in this the third and penultimate stage of qualification for the 2010 World Cup. The 20 remaining teams have been divided into five groups of four. The top two from each group progress to the final round. Four Asian nations will head to South Africa while a fifth will play-off with a representative from the Oceania region – likely to be New Zealand. In the first game, South Korea thrashed Turkmenistan 4-0 in Seoul while the north won 1-0 in Jordan. orth Korea is not a team that concedes many goals and until recently, South Korea was not one that scored too many. Three of the four meetings between the two in the past decade have ended all square and it is a result that would be satisfactory to both sides once again on Wednesday. But in football you never know. 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

That’s the way football goes. From July to February 6, South Korea went 550 minutes of play without scoring. In the past two weeks, the team has found the net seven times. Kwak Tae-hwi was responsible for the first and the last of those goals. The baby-faced defender headed home the first goal against Turkmenistan in Seoul two weeks ago and then, on Sunday afternoon, he scored in the last-minute to give the Taeguk Warriors a dramatic 3-2 win against China in Chongqing. That victory came in the first match of the East Asian championships being held in the Chinese city. It was an exciting game. Park Chu-young hadn’t scored for the national team since March 1 2006 when Angola came to a snowy Seoul stadium. On a misty Chongqing day, Park headed home the opening goal at the end of the first half and then was on target in the second half with a lovely free-kick curled home from 25 metres. Sandwiched In between the two strikes had come two Chinese goals, the first an absolute scorcher from Zhou Haibin, and the game was heading for a 2-2 draw on a misty afternoon. That was until Kwak fired home a fine half-volley to extend China’s winless streak against South Korea to 27 games and, as the Korean media gleefully pointed out, it also continues China’s “Koreaphobia". There are still two games to play in this four-nation biennial tournament. Next up for Huh Jung-moo’s men is a Wednesday night clash with North Korea at the same venue. Games against the northern neighbors are always special affairs but they are becoming more common. The teams have met only three times in the past 14 years but that number will double in 2008. As well as the game this week, there is the small matter of two qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup that will take place over the next few months. Those two games make Wednesday’s clash a strange one. South Korea is without any European-based stars for this tournament. The roster is full of inexperienced K-Leaguers. Coach Huh can select a side safe in the knowledge that he will not be giving too much away to his opposite number Kim Jong-hun. In contrast, Kim’s squad is at almost full-strength and he may be wary of showing too much of his hand ahead of the meeting in Pyongyang on March 26. Two of his team however, are already well-known to coach Huh. Midfielder An Yong-hak was born in Japan but is a well-established North Korean international. He joined Busan I’Park in 2006 and after a slow start on the south coast; he has become one of the league’s most consistent performers. After 2002 and 2006 World Cup star and South Korean captain Kim Nam-il left Suwon Samsung Bluewings at the end of last season to join Japanese club Vissel Kobe, Suwon coach Cha Bum-keun picked up An as the replacement. The two should face each other on the pitch and An is looking forward to it. “Kim Nam-il is the best midfielder in South Korea,” An told reporters after the Japan draw. “I want to play a good game against him. “We watched the first half of South Korea on television and just a little of the second half,” An added. “The fact that they got the winner in stoppage time shows their mental strength.” Jong Tae-se is another Japanese-born DPRK star. The striker plays for J-League club Kawasaki Frontale and scored an excellent goal in North Korea’s 1-1 draw with Japan on Sunday. Young and full of confidence, Jong also scored against Chunnam Dragons, the former club of southern coach Huh, in the 2007 Asian Champions League. He is hungry and dangerous. “I am looking forward to playing against South Korea,” Jung said. “The team is similar to Japan in terms of ability. I should have scored more goals against Japan and I will try my best against Korea.” It promises to be a tight match despite South Korea’s new-found scoring prowess and a draw would be no surprise as powder is kept dry for next month’s crucial clash. 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