Andy Egli recently resigned from K-League club Busan I'Park after a year in South Korea. That experience didn't put the ex-Switzerland international defender and FC Thun coach off the country however and, as he told Soccerphile's John Duerden, he wants to become the next coach of the South Korean national team. You left Busan over a month ago. Why did you resign? There were two main reasons. First of all, the results were not that good. Secondly, there were too many differences with the management of the club and I couldn’t continue like that. I offered to resign and after thinking about it for a week, they decided to accept my resignation. That was Ok for me. What kind of differences? I don’t want to go into specifics. In any relationship with any people –friends, couples, it is the same thing. With the management of the group, the development of the group, eventually, you have to decide whether to stay together, to try and find a compromise or to stop. Were any problems regarding the departure of Brazilian players Popo and Somalia? Not at all. Of course, there were a lot of questions regarding the improvement of the squad and the quality of the squad. There was not one reason. If you had a chance again, what would you do differently? This is the kind of question I don’t like. You can’t make the same situation happen twice. I would like to return to Korea because it is a very interesting country in football. I have no problems with the mentality of the people, with dealing with things. I would welcome the opportunity for a new challenge in Korea. What kind of job would you like? On a federation level or professional club level there are always possibilties. If there are people who want to build something with a lot of will, determination and patience and passion then I would be delighted. When you mention federation, you are talking about the national team? Verbeek has quit. I don’t know the thoughts of the KFA, how they want to deal with the challenges with coaching Korea. I have sent an application to the KFA because when I heard that Verbeek resigned, I wanted to them to know that I would really like the job. If you have an interview, one question would be about the fact that when you left Busan were next-to-bottom in the league, how can you persuade people in Korea that you can be a good national team coach? During that year in Busan I proved that I am able to build up the structure within a club and help develop tactical aspects. I think people enjoyed watching Busan play. The results were not as good as we expected but the football we played was exciting. We tried to go forward and we coached the players in a way that they could easily improve. I think that it was just a question of time to see the results that everybody expected. People who came to watch Busan in Busan or anywhere else saw a team that tried to go forward and this is the way for all Korean teams to improve. What are the problems of the national team and how would you solve them? In the Asian Cup, the number of players that were not there was important. Statistically, there were three games with no goals. It is obvious what the problem is. It is also a K-League problem, Korean players have to improve in the box, they have to take attacking positions. Compared to the highest levels in Europe and South America, they are not that good. I think over the next years, coaches in Korea have to work on those things. Koreans can defend well but this shouldn’t take away from the team’s attacking capabilities. A good balance between defending effectively and attacking in a way to create chances and socre goals is what they need. That’s quite general. Is there anything specific you would change quickly that would help the national team? The tournament showed that Korea could have won the semi-final and final on penalties. If Korea would have won for the first time in 47 years, then anybody would have been happy. In the short term, you can’t change. It’s constant work, coaching, supporting players, in order to give them self-confidence that they can take good positions at the highest level. It is a process that will not change today or tomorrow. Korean football in general and individual players will continue to improve and they will win the Asian Cup again, the next World Cup they can get good result. The condition is that they continue to work on their coaching skills and their mental skills and a lot of work in both penalty boxes. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

Fans of the South Korean national team and the Korean Football Association (KFA) have been here before. Korea is now looking for a sixth post-Hiddink coach. Pim Verbeek's resignation at the end of the Asian Cup means that five coaches have now come and gone in the Land of the Morning Calm since the 2002 World Cup. After three spells with the Korea national team, the first two as the assistant at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, Verbeek is a familiar figure in modern Korean soccer and has been a good servant. Taking the reins last summer, the tall 51-year-old had a long-term vision for Korean soccer, up to and beyond the 2010 World Cup. In the global game however, things rarely go according to plan. The Asian Cup was one of those things. Verbeek led the team to third place in a continental campaign that ended in a bizarre fashion as his team defeated Japan in a penalty shootout to finish third. Banished to the sidelines by an overzealous referee for protesting the dubious sending off of Kang Min-soo, Verbeek was forced to sit among the spectators as his team battled until the end. The win means that Korea will now not have to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup, and if that is a positive legacy then there are one or two others. Following the retirement of the much-heralded back-line of 2002, the team has gone through defenders in an attempt to find a settled and competent back four. At the end of the trip to Southeast Asia, however, it looks like an answer has finally been found. Oh Beom-seok, Kang Minsoo and Kim Jin-kyu and Chiwoo went seven hours without conceding a goal and, even better, the quartet are all under 24. The experienced stars were absent, however. After the withdrawal of Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and Kim Nam-il through injury, it was going to be tough for Korea to end its 47-year-long continental drought.The team stayed positive and an Asian Football Confederation official remarked that it was the first time he could remember a Korean team taking the competition with the utmost seriousness. Unfortunately, scoring three goals in six games is going to win neither points nor plaudits.Verbeek was unable to solve the team's problems. As the defense tightened, fewer chances were created and the strikers rarely looked like they could score. Unrest in the Korean media grew - not to severe levels - but enough to question the leadership off the field and the lack of diversity in attack on it. The knockout stage was a slog with all three games lasting two hours with no goals scored or conceded. Those six hours were more than long enough to demonstrate the fighting spirit and fitness of a team, but also showed little in the way of creativity and initiative. It should be mentioned that such qualities are in short supply in a low-scoring K-League with overseas stars responsible for most of what does exist. Goals are not just a national team problem, they are a commodity not abundant domestically and only two out of the top 10 marksmen so far this season hold Korean passports. That is another issue and not one that Verbeek will have to deal with. Soon, it will be the responsibility of someone else. The early front-runner is Jorvan Vieira. The Brazilian led Iraq to the Asian Cup title. Before he did so, he confirmed that not only will he step down from that post but that he has been contacted by the Korean Football Association. The fact that he did so before Verbeek announced his departure was not appreciated in Seoul and does not reflect well on Vieira. There is no need for the KFA to rush as little will happen for the next few months on the national team level and it is important to find the right person. There is always the inevitable talk of big-name coaches, but with the World Cup three years away, tempting, as well as paying, such people is difficult. This is not a bad thing as perhaps it is time to avoid the stop-start effect that is in danger of becoming the norm. It is all very well appointing famous coaches who become more attracted to Korea the closer a World Cup becomes, but as soon as the competition ends, they take their talents elsewhere and Korea finds itself almost back at square one. For now however, it's time for a new start - again. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

South Korea manager Pim Verbeek told reporters Saturday that he resigned prior to watching his team take third place at the Asian Cup with a 6-5 penalty shootout win over Japan in Palembang, Indonesia. The news ended weeks of speculation that Verbeek would either step down or be sacked after the tournament. A transcript of his post-match press conference follows: “I decided to resign. I asked the KFA this afternoon to terminate my contract. It’s time for me to find a new challenge. I had two important targets. The first being winning the Asian Cup, which we didn’t. The second being qualifying for the Olympics. I was disappointed that my four most talented players were ruled out of the (Asian Cup) due to injury, but I admit that I had plenty of other talented players to choose from and perhaps should have done better. I have to be fair also and say we didn’t score enough. Defensively we were great, but to win at this tournament you have to score goals. I lived a long time in Korea and they have great fans. I will leave with wonderful memories. I really enjoyed the Asian Cup from start to finish. I’m not being sarcastic or cynical, I really enjoyed the tournament. But now I need a long break so I can be ready for the next ten years (of coaching). I plan to go back to Europe and take a holiday. I’ve lost my energy to be honest. It’s time to re-energize and find something new.” Asked if he would consider coaching another Asian team, Verbeek responded: “I will seriously consider any interesting option. I am open to everything. But in the next five months? No thank you.” Copyright © C.G. Williams & Soccerphile.com Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

No sooner had Kim Jung-woo missed South Korea’s fifth penalty kick against Iraq in the semi-final of the Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur than the country’s media was speculating over the future of coach Pim Verbeek. After two spells as assistant under Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat, Verbeek took over the head coach position a year ago, promising colourful and intelligent football. According to one leading sports site, OSEN, there was little of that on display as Korea scored only three goals in five games – two of which went to extra time. The 0-0 draw with Iraq saw Korea enjoy plenty of possession and pressure but few chances were created as strikers Cho Jae-jin, Lee Chun-soo and Lee Dong-gook went through the competition without finding the back of the net. Before the tournament, Verbeek told me that: “If we fail to reach the semi-finals that I will seriously consider my position.” This statement became headline news in Korea and it has led to the Dutchmen having to field questions about possible resignations every time the team looked to be in danger of crashing out. After the last four exit, it was inevitable that the issue would be raised once more and so, in the post-match press conference, Verbeek had the following to say. "I took my decision already but I am not going to say what it is because I want to keep the Korean people excited for the next couple of days.But if the Korean fans think we didn’t play a good tournament than they must have a different vision of playing international football. "I think a lot of countries would be very proud to reach the semi-finals and to see their team fight until the very last second of extra time to get to the final. I should be proud to be a fan of Korean football because while we did not always play good, we were not outplayed in any game throughout this tournament and we were fighting like hell to get a good result. “If people think that is not enough that’s okay because I have no problem with that.” The 50-year old’s contract finishes at the end of the Beijing Olympics, a competition that South Korea have a good chance of qualifying for. Verbeek is also at the helm of that team and the chance it gives to work with the country’s young players is something he enjoys very much. It remains to be seen if that is enough to keep him from leaving. Reaction to Korea’s performances in the Korean media have mostly been of disappointment with the coach rather than outright anger. “Is Verbeek responsible for the goal-less strikers?” asks one article. Reasonable questions are being asked though the coach’s leadership and tactical skills have not been well-received. A lack of variety when attacking is the most common complaint. It is entirely possible, even probable, that Verbeek will head home to Europe and Korea will be in the position of trying to replace Hiddink for a sixth time in the space of five years. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

It wasn’t pretty but South Korea scraped into the last eight of the Asian Cup with a 1-0 win over Indonesia in Jakarta. Saudi Arabia gave a big helping hand as they thrashed Bahrain 4-0 in the Sumatran city of Palembang. The atmosphere in the Korean camp after the game was one of relief, not surprising when one considers that the team were bottom of Group D when Australian referee Mark Shield blew his whistle to signal the start of proceedings. One point from the previous two games had left Korea needing to win and hoping that the other result wasn’t a draw. In the Korean camp prior to kick-off, there was a general expectation that the West Asian clash probably would end all-square. There was no bitterness just an awareness that such a thing could happen and it was Korea’s fault for putting themselves in the situation. The Saudis were having none of it and, on a dry Palembang pitch, made sure that their West Asian neighbours were heading back home. The scoreline was harsh on Bahrain who had a number of good chances before the game got away from them midway through the second half. 90,000 fans packed in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium didn’t care. It is sad that the special atmosphere created in the arena will not be experienced again in this Asian Cup. The chances of more than 5,000 turning up for what looks to be a fairly unglamorous quarter-final between the Saudis and Uzbekistan are about the same as seeing a good word about the Indonesian FA printed in the nation’s media. Like the previous game against Saudi Arabia, the president and his wife were in attendance and this time there were a good number of soldiers to go with the legions of security.. The Premier League may be the most popular in the world but their yellow-bib wearing spotty stewards aren’t a patch on Indonesia’s machine gun-toting, gum-chewing, mean-looking crowd control cadets. The Korean embassy had warned fans not to wander around in the colours of the Taeguk Warriors but, except the tearing down of a banner proclaiming friendship between Indonesia and Korea, I saw few problems. Even at the end of a game that saw the team defeated by the narrowest of margins when a draw would have seen them through, the disappointed fans applauded both teams off the pitch. “A hell of an atmosphere wasn’t it?” coach Pim Verbeek said to me after the game. The Dutchman was hoarse obviously from shouting at his players in frustration. Korea had good chances to kill the game, especially in the second half, and really should have added to Kim Jung-woo’s 34th minute winner. Korea’s wastefulness led to a final period that was tenser than it needed to be but the visitors deserved the win to set up a fourth successive Asian Cup quarter-final with Iran in Kuala Lumpur. It is 2-1 to Iran who took the lead in the mini-series with a thrilling 4-3 win in the Chinese city of Jinan three summers ago. Korea will not be too sorry to leave Jakarta and its poor training pitches – there will be no such problems in Malaysia. Team Melli will pose a few however and the Taeguk Warriors will need to improve if KL is not merely to be a stop-off on their way back to Seoul. The team’s interpreter told me that they “will definitely be back” in Jakarta for the final on July 29. That remains to be seen. A victory over Iran will see a semi against Iraq or Vietnam and suddenly Korea are dreaming of continental glory. ‘Tis a funny old game. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

It’s looking grim for South Korea at the 2007 Asian Cup. With one game remaining in Group D, the Taeguk Warriors no longer control their own destiny. After one draw and one defeat, Korea’s Asian Cup hopes are, as headline writers around the world like to say in such situations, ‘hanging by a thread.’ It was the 2-1 loss at the hands of Bahrain on a warm Sunday evening in Jakarta that has pushed the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists to the edge of elimination. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the team crawled to the brink itself after shooting itself in the foot. Only a win against Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday and a positive result in the game between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia elsewhere will see one of the pre-tournament favourites squeeze into the last eight. It shouldn’t be this way. Korea took an early lead, dominated most of the game against Bahrain but somehow ended up with nothing. Surprising as the loss was, the scenario is not an unfamiliar one. If lowly Taiwan are taken out of the occasion; in the five competitive games played since the World Cup, Korea has now taken the lead four times yet failed to record a single victory. In qualifiers for the Asian Cup in Seoul, Korea went ahead against Iran and Syria, controlled proceedings but were undone by defensive mistakes. Saudi Arabia may not have been dominated but weren’t killed off and we all saw what happened against Bahrain. Friendly matches don’t seem to be a problem however. In the five so far this year, Korea took the lead in three and won and fell behind in the other two and lost. In the post-match press conference on Sunday, a Korean journalist questioned the players’ famed mental strength. In Asian football circles, it is an oft-repeated assertion that those who pull on the red shirt have an indomitable, never-say-die attitude and all-round rock solid mentality - the Taeguk Warriors. Maybe they are not quite as strong as previously assumed. In competitive games that they are expected to win, a South Korea team that holds a narrow lead rarely gives confidence that it has the capability to protect or add to it. Perhaps like Australia, Korea just feel more comfortable as underdogs with their backs against the wall battling against the 'big' teams. Bahrain are no slouches on the Asian scene and almost reached the final of the 2004 competition. However in the 12 previous meetings between the two countries, the Gulf State had drawn three and lost nine and that sorry record was looking likely to be extended to an unlucky 13 after Kim Doo-hyun’s early strike. Just before half-time however, the Korean defence went to sleep and was undone in the simplest of manners. A free-kick on the edge of the centre circle was lofted over the defence and into the penalty area for Salman Ali to fire home. Six minutes from time, another defensive mistake led to Ismaeel Abdullatiff scoring the winner. Both were classic examples of Korea’s concentration problems at the back. No defence is immune from such lapses but for much of the post 2002 World Cup period, the Korean back-line has demonstrated all too often that is liable to switch off at crucial moments. The worst part is that such mistakes seem to have an incredibly high conversion rate into goals – as Bahrain’s two shots and two goals demonstrated. Coupled with the problems at the back is the team’s inability to kill teams off when they have both the lead and control of the game. Much of the second half was spent in and around the Bahraini penalty area but possession and pressure didn’t yield the expected number of clear-cut chances. When opportunities did come, they weren’t taken. The team is missing such stars as Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and Kim Nam-il and it is likely that results would have been different with that experienced quartet available. However, the starting eleven that took the field against Bahrain was not full of fresh-faced youngsters. Many of them had World Cup and overseas experience – certainly enough to avoid defeat against Bahrain after taking an early lead. Bahrain coach Milan Macala said after the game that for all Korea’s personnel changes from the previous game, the style and tactics were exactly the same. A settled system is all well and good but when attacks become predictable the team has to be so effective that it doesn’t matter or changes have to be made. It is harsh on Korea that they are in this position. Australia have performed much more poorly yet, unlike the east Asians, still control their own destiny going into the final game. Korea could easily be leading the group yet find themselves propping it up - such is football. As I write, I can see the local fans outside the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta lining the streets in an attempt to get tickets for Wednesday's game. It will be a red-hot atmosphere in front of over 90,000 screaming fans. The going has gotten tough, now is the time for the tough to get going. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

There is a mosque situated next to the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in central Jakarta and after the events of Wednesday night, perhaps there were a few Asian Football Confederation officials joining the locals for prayers. The 1-1 draw between Saudi Arabia and South Korea - their first game of the 2007 Asian Cup- was an interesting one and not least because of the 25-minute power failure that plunged the 90,000 capacity arena into darkness with five minutes remaining. In Jakarta, the four teams in Group D are all staying at the Marriot Hotel, just a couple of miles away from the stadium. Visions of Saudi Arabian, Korean, Indonesian and Bahraini players all lining up together for the (apparently world-class) breakfast buffet are probably wide of the mark. While it was the Indonesians who were smiling on Wednesday morning, much attention was already focused on the biggest game in the first round. With five Asian titles between them, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are genuine continental powerhouses, so much so that even BBC World provided a preview of the clash. South Korean coach Pim Verbeek had obviously decided not to be downhearted about injuries to Premier League stars Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and Seol Ki-hyeon as well as captain Kim Nam-il. The Dutchman was in bullish mood and talking about winning the trophy. Stand-in skipper Lee Woon-jae was even more confident. “We will win the Asian Cup,” he said. The goalkeeper had obviously forgotten his promise of 13 months earlier when he vowed that he would not concede a goal at the World Cup in Germany – a pledge that lasted less than 30 minutes in Frankfurt. There’s nothing wrong with confidence even though Korea hadn’t lifted the bowl-shaped trophy since 1960 and also hadn’t defeated Saudi Arabia since 1989. In five meetings since that World Cup qualifier, the Sons of the Desert had won three and drawn two. Those were no insignificant games. The Saudis dumped the Koreans out of the 2000 Asian Cup at the semi-final stage and then triumphed home and away during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Despite the history, the locals weren’t moved. Unlike the previous day, there were no huge lines of people besieging ticket booths around the arena so it wasn’t a surprise that the giant Gelora Bung Karno Stadium was not much more than 10% full but it was still disappointing. The Korean fans traveled in reasonable numbers however, making up around two-thirds of those present and almost all of the noise. The game itself between the two Asian powerhouses was scrappy at times and it is difficult to know if the Reuters report which stated that “the players were wandering around the pitch aimlessly,” was referring to the period of darkness or not. It was better in the second half and not just because both goals came after the break. Choi Sung-kuk got the first. The Seongnam attacker was the smallest player on the pitch but took advantage of some serious ball-watching from Kamil Al Mousa after 66 minutes to head home a fine cross from Yeom Ki-hoon. Not long after, the impressive Malek Maaz won a, slightly debatable, penalty for the Sons of the Desert by going down under a clumsy challenge from Oh Beom-seok inside the area. Yasser Al-Qahtani has faced Lee Woon-jae from the spot before on a night known as the “Damman Shock” in Korean football circles. Damman is a city in the east of the Kingdom, known for its hostile atmosphere and passionate fans. In March 2005, the Al-Hilal striker scored a penalty to seal a 2-0 win for the Saudis over Korea in World Cup qualifying. 28 months later and the 24 year-old once again was clinical and sent Lee the wrong way. Soon after, the lights went out. There were quick shouts of ‘Asian betting rings!’ in the press box as the lights failed and most of the Saudi contingent disappeared under a haze of smoke as did the Korean reporters. After what seemed like an age, the lights were restored and play resumed, most of it coming from the Saudis. With the last kick of the game Saad Al Harthi had and wasted the best chance of the whole 115 minutes, shooting into the side-netting with only Lee to beat. As Pim Verbeek, forced by AFC officials to change his white shirt to blue just after the start of the game, said post-match -“it was the right result.” Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

“Disgrace,” “No strategy!” and “Time to go,” were some of the more restrained headlines in the Korean media after a week of poor results in the East Asian Football Cup. Inevitably, the accompanying pictures showed Coach Jo Bonfrere looking more forlorn than usual as his players failed to beat either China or North Korea and were defeated by Japan – all on home turf. The competition, won by South Korea in December 2003, was supposed to mark the start of the country’s preparations for the World Cup instead it has signalled the beginning of open season against the Dutchman.

Busan I’Park are just two points away from clinching the first stage title in the 2005 K-League season. The FA Cup holders remain unbeaten after ten games and with two games remaining are in the enviable position of sitting five points above second-placed Ulsan Hyundai Horangi. Coach Ian Porterfield has turned I’Park into an impressive, effective machine who in 2005 seem to effortlessly pick up points wherever they go. In sixteen games in the K-League and AFC Champions League the south-coast outfit have won thirteen and drawn three.

Asian Cup Draw 2007 Kuala Lumpur, December 20, 2006 Holders Japan will be hoping to three-peat when the 2007 Asian Cup kicks off in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia next July. The July 7-29 championships will include newcomers Australia for the first time. Saudi Arabia were restricted to playing their opening games in Malaysia or Indonesia due to an ongoing political spat with Thailand. Group A Australia Oman Iraq Thailand Group B Japan UAE Vietnam Qatar