The first frissons of fever could be felt last Friday – World Cup fever. The 2010 tournament is just six weeks away but outside the host nation of South Africa, the billions of fans of the global game just can’t quite seem to get into the swing of things. That is especially true in East Asia. Just a week ago, former chief of the Japan Football Association Saburo Kawabuchi was giving his reasons why the Land of the Rising Sun has still not woken up to the 2010 World Cup. ”The reason there is no excitement is Japan hasn’t played well. It’s important the team shows some confidence in their final tuneup games,” the well-respected administrator told local media. South Korea doesn’t have the same problem with regard to national team performances but the distance and the fact that - as they don’t have broadcasting rights to the tournament- television stations KBS and MBC are trying to pretend that it isn’t happening, have not yet injected much excitement into the Land of the Morning Calm. That all changed on Friday when head coach Huh Jung-moo named a preliminary squad of 30. This isn’t, in itself, a huge deal as there is a big difference between 30 and the final number of 23 that will actually go to South Africa. Huh has the rest of May to weed out the unlucky seven. Drama was in short supply as were shocks. All have appeared in the red shirt before, most of them a good number of times. All 23 players who were summoned to play against Ivory Coast in a March 3 warm-up in London, a game that went 2-0 to Huh’s men, are included again. The others are those returning from injury and/or bad form. As you would expect so close to the big event, coach Huh was sounding bullish without going overboard. "We do have our weaknesses,” Huh said in Seoul. “But in every game, my players are full of passion and have a fighter's spirit. Our determination to win, our desire for success and coherence as a team is second to none in the world. You can easily break a single branch, but when it's a bundle of ten, it's a different story." “I selected the 30 players by comprehensively considering their personal skills, ability to understand tactics, and physical and mental conditions. They must exercise and play games with a sense of pride as representatives of South Korea from now on The talking point perhaps was the exclusion of Seol Ki-hyeon. The veteran of 2002 and 2006 has not made the cut because he is still recovering from a knee operation and has not played for new club Pohang Steelers since returning from England in the winter. "Seol hasn't been included because he hasn't played and hasn't trained,” said Huh. "Of course, it is regrettable for the players who haven't made the squad but those 30 players have the opportunity to play a big part for the national team." There is still time for more injures. There are two games left in the K-League before the summer break and one in the European leagues. The domestic-based stars will get together on May 10 to start the first training camp. Then comes the first home game this year so far and the only one before the World Cup when Ecuador provides the opposition in a warm-up at Seoul World Cup stadium on May 16. A full house is expected for that match, a one and only chance to see the boys and wish them luck before they head to Saitama and a May 24 test against fellow qualifiers Japan. The very next day comes a rather longer flight to Austria and another training camp. Two more games take place under the Alpine skies, the first against Belarus and the second against European champion Spain in Innsbruck on June 3. Then it is down to the southern tip of Africa and Port Elizabeth and the Nelson Mandela Stadium where Greece will be waiting on June 12. Goalkeepers: Kim Young-Kwang (Ulsan) Lee Woon-Jae (Suwon) Jung Sung-Ryong (Seongnam) Defenders: Kang Min-Soo (Suwon) Kwak Tae-Hwi (Kyoto, Japan) Kim Dong-Jin (Ulsan) Kim Hyung-Il (Pohang) Oh Beom-Seok (Ulsan) Lee Young-Pyo (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia) Lee Jung-Soo (Kashima, Japan) Hwang Jae-Won (Pohang) Cho Won-Hee (Wigan, England - loaned to Suwon) Cha Du-Ri (SC Freiburg Germany) Cho Yong-Hyung (Jeju United) Midfielders: Koo Ja-Cheol (Jeju UTD) Ki Sung-Yong (Celtic, Scotland) Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita Japan) Kim Nam-Il (Tom Tomsk-Russia) Shin Hyung-Min (Pohang) Kim Jae-Sung (Pohang) Kim Jung-Woo (Gwangju), Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton, England) Kim Chi-Woo (Seoul) Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United England) Forwards: Park Chu-Young (AS Monaco France) Ahn Jung-Hwan (Dalian China) Lee Seung-Ryul ( Seoul) Yeom Ki-Hun (Suwon) Lee Keun-Ho (Jubilo Iwata (Japan) Lee Dong-Guk (Jeonbuk) Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

The seasons are changing in South Africa. The summer weather is coming to an end and the beaches of Durban and Cape Town are no longer as busy as they were. Fall has arrived and soon, winter will come to bring pleasant days but cold nights to cities such as Johannesburg. In 2010 however, winter means one thing in South Africa – the World Cup. That tournament looms large on the horizon of Yeom Ki-hun.The Suwon attacker hasn’t yet played a game for his new club since arriving in Gyeonggi Province from Ulsan Horang-I in the off-season. The likeable 27 year-old is battling through an annual problem – injury. He needs to start playing very soon if he is to take one of the 23 seats on the plane that leaves Incheon International Airport in late May. Yeom, who still bears the scars from a serious automobile accident in 2006, rarely plays a full season. A series of physical problems have blighted his career and prevented him, perhaps, from becoming the star he could have been. The latest setback came in February when he fractured a bone in his foot during training with the national team at the East Asian Championships. It was a cruel blow for the player and the former Ulsan star, who has played 30 times for the Taeguk Warriors, is keen to get back on the pitch to show what he can do. “I haven’t given up on going to the World Cup. The operation went well and at the moment, I am feeling good,” Yeom told local media in March. “My recovery is coming on leaps and bounds,” he added. “My strong points are such things as taking free-kicks, crossing and shooting. If I show that I am at my best, opportunities should come my way." Yeom expects to be back around the middle of this month and that is looking a little optimistic and is cutting it fine. Assuming he does return on schedule, and with this versatile attacker you can never be sure, it doesn’t give him much time to get himself back to match fitness and build his stamina. National team coach Huh Jung-moo has an exhibition match in Seoul against Ecuador planned on May 16 – the only game in the Land of the Morning Calm before the big event – and the selected stars will get together on May 9. If Yeom is not in that roster then it all will be too late. The same applies to Seol Ki-hyeon, another winger who can play on either side or even in the middle. The former English Premier League star left Fulham in the winter to come and play for Pohang Steelers. At the age of 31, he had never played in the K-League in his career and he still hasn’t. A knee injury that didn’t seem to serious at first has dragged on. At almost every press conference early in the season, Pohang boss Waldemar Lemos told reporters that the player was almost ready but then in late March, it was revealed that ‘The Sniper’ has gone under the knife. It wasn’t a big operation so Seol could be back this month but if he wants to go the World Cup, (and who doesn’t?) he needs to be back, fit and playing well as soon as possible. In truth it doesn’t look good for either, especially Seol, but at least they will be in good company with the likes of David Beckham of England and Spain’s Cesc Fabregas also likely to be watching the tournament from the sidelines. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

The next few months are vital for players hoping to go to the World Cup and this is a big week for South Koreans with dreams of making the final 23 that makes the plane in June. Not only does the European transfer window open for a month, meaning that players could be heading to Europe or those already there could move around, but coach Huh Jung-moo is taking 25 players to South Africa, the host country of the 2010 tournament, for some acclimatization, training and friendlies. There are a number of absentees however. Players based in Europe will not be heading south as the European season is still ongoing. So instead of games in Johannesburg and Durban, the overseas stars will be busy with their domestic commitments in England, Scotland, Germany and France. The problem is that not all of them are busy. The likes of midfielder Cho Won-hee have been in the worst of both worlds. They left Korea for European experience and so miss a number of training camps and exhibition games that take place at home and remove themselves from the watchful eye of the coaching staff. That is not a big deal if you are in the big leagues and testing yourself against some of the best players in the world week in and week out. Coach Huh would love to spend time with the overseas players more often but is quite happy to let them go in the knowledge that when they do return, they return as better players. But when those players are not playing regularly, it becomes a problem. Cho joined Wigan Athletic of the English Premier League in early 2009 and has barely featured – just making four appearances in that time. He has been a little unlucky though. Soon after arriving in England, he returned to Seoul for a 2010 World Cup qualifier against North Korea. He injured himself in that match and so could only make his debut for his new team right at the end of the season. Worse was to follow. Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United captain, left Wigan in the off-season to take the vacant Sunderland job. Bruce had publicly talked of Cho’s abilities a number of times and seemed to be a fan of the midfielder. These things happen but it came at a time when Cho had not yet established himself at the club. New boss Roberto Martinez is a young gun, a coach that had showed potential in the lower leagues in England before finally getting his chance in the top tier. He has been less keen on Cho and the player has started only two games all season – one which hasn’t been a great one for the club. Surprisingly however, Cho did start the final match of 2009, a trip to the home of champion Manchester United to face compatriot Park Ji-sung. It was a night to forget for Cho as his team was crushed 5-0. Earlier this week Cho arrived back in the Land of the Morning Calm to rejoin Suwon on loan. Whatever happens, he is unlikely to be returning to Wigan. The future of Seol Ki-hyeon is still up in the air. Seol, a star of the 2002 World Cup, made just five appearances for Fulham in 2009 and just two of those came in the Premier League. It is some time since Seol was a regular Taeguk Warrior but he has been called up of late by coach Huh. The attacker knows that he needs playing time to make the plane in South Africa. "There have been rumors of his release several times, so we do not see it as too serious. We will find out what is going on first,'' Seol's management agency said last month. "Although Seol belongs to the player clear-out list, his contract does not expire until next summer. We need not be in a rush.'' The 30 year-old has never played in the K-league and that isn’t about to change soon, according to the agency. "Currently, it is not in the cards. If there is a team interested in recruiting Seol, I wonder if it could pay his transfer fee of 2 billion won (around $1.7 million).We will look for another team in the Premier League or another European league.'' There is sure to be some movement this month all around the world as players look for playing time before the World Cup. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Tags Soccer News football

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

As the referee blew his whistle at the end of Saturday’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea ended, he also called time on the 2006/07 English season.