Is the time right for the Taeguk Warriors?
By John Duerden
Jun 11, 2010 5:10:00 AM
Teams: South Korea
Seven World Cup appearances is an Asian record. Saudi Arabia are next with four. A place in the last four is an Asian record. North Korea are next with a last eight spot under their belt. Eight Asian club championships is a record. Japan are next with five. The oldest professional league in the continent and the only Asian nation to have a player in the final of the biggest club game in the world –the UEFA Champions League.
Whichever way you look at it, South Korea is the archetypal continental powerhouse. Ahead of an eighth appearance on the global stage, what the players, the coach, the media and the fans are hoping is that 2010 marks the time when the Taeguk Warriors break out of the Asian scene and claim their spot on the global football map.
It happened, of sorts, in 2002 but while that run to the semi-finals was impressive, it needs to be complemented by a good run overseas. In six previous attempts away from the Land of the Morning Calm, not once has South Korea made it over the first hurdle. 2006 was close but not close enough.
Expectations back then were too high with memories of 2002 still fresh. A pre-tournament survey revealed that 93% of fans expected a second-round finish at least. This time around, with the Group B opener against Greece kicking off on Saturday in Port Elizabeth before games with Argentina and Nigeria, the confidence is of a quieter variety but the team looks to be better.
Injuries have not been a major concern and have to do more with how much recent knocks affect current conditions. The hamstring problems of Lee Dong-gook are an exception but the 2009 K-league top scorer may recover in time to play some part against the 2004 European champions.
A fit Lee would probably have partnered Park Chu-young in attack. Much depends on the Monaco man. The form he showed in France in the first half of the season, performances reflected in his national team appearances, led this writer to ask if he was Asia’s leading striker. The second half of the season was less successful for the 24 year-old however, injuries cost him two months of activity and robbed him of his groove. Korea needs the player, nicknamed ‘Football genius” to get back into it.
There’s no such need for Lee Chung-yong. The Bolton Wanderers wideman has been playing football virtually non-stop since the start of 2009 and playing it well. His transfer from FC Seoul to England came too soon in the opinion of many pundits, myself included, but the 21 year-old starred in the Premier League and was one of the best signings of the season. Coach Huh Jung-moo will be asking Lee to give his all for just a few more games before taking a well-earned rest while at the same time telling him to cut down on some of the wild tackles that can creep into his game from time to time.
Huh will have no such need to advice Park Ji-sung. The 29 year-old has pretty much seen and done all there is to do in football and is the self-assured leader of this team. He told me recently that this World Cup, his third, is likely to be his last. After just missing out on a fourth consecutive English Premier League title with Manchester United, a good showing in South Africa will more than compensate.
Going forward this is a Korean team that has the pace, he movement, the experience and the skill to trouble the likes of Greece, Nigeria and even Argentina. After 30 months in the job, coach Huh has a well-organised set-up, one that has looked more solid of late. Kim Jung-woo is the unsung defensive midfielder, a skinny warrior who gets the job done and allows the more mercurial Ki Song-yong to get forward. Ki has struggled for playing time at Celtic since moving to Scotland in the summer and the 21 year-old is keen to show club boss Neil Lennon the error of his selection ways.
The full-back position is rarely a worry for a nation blessed with two-footed, energetic, hard-working and quick defenders. The centre of defence has offered more debate of late but the injury to Kwak Tae-hwi looks to have given the tough-tackling Lee Jung-soo and the more refined Cho Yong-hyung their chance. Veteran goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae looks likely to get the nod to go between the sticks ahead of Jung Sung-ryeong.
South Korea is not an old team and the youngsters in the side are already experienced. The team is battle-hardened, well-prepared and not short of skill.
Now only one questions remains. Can Asia’s most successful team of all time start mixing it with the best on the world stage, wherever that stage may be? We will find out soon enough.
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