As the snow fell in Seoul at the end of last week, a number of K-League teams were getting ready to jet to warmer climes for pre-season training. Incheon United, to name just one, start a month in Guam on Monday.
Thoughts of Pacific islands may make fans left behind green with envy but the Korean soccer media has been white with shock and indignation over the past seven days. The reason for the furore was the fact that a fairly obscure European soccer statistics site ranked the K-League as the 54th strongest league in the world behind such powerhouses as Lebanon, Singapore and Uzbekistan.
Pointless as it is to compare international leagues, it didn’t stop the media devoting countless articles and time to such nonsense and the fact that it is the off-season only provides part of an excuse. While comparisons are futile, it is tough to resist the temptation of falling into the same trap. The K-League has plenty of problems but as global leagues go, it is fairly good - in Asian terms, "fairly" can be upgraded to "very". Only the J-League is superior at the moment in terms of entertainment, attendances and infrastructure.
While a Japanese club, Urawa Reds, is the current champion of Asia, the K-League is still easily the most successful in the history of continental competition. Korean clubs have lifted the Asian title on seven occasions with Saudi Arabia and Japan sharing second place with four each. Singapore and Lebanon don’t even enter teams into the Asian Champions League, they are only allowed to participate in the AFC Cup – an inferior competition reserved solely for Asia’s "developing nations". For some reason, success in this competition is worth a good deal of kudos –or whatever they use -- on the stats site.
The reaction in Seoul was predictable. Newsis Portal site said: “The IFFHS has a lack of knowledge and understanding about Asia and has made mistakes and overlooked much.” Sports Chosun declared that: “we can’t trust these rankings.”
Trust is not normally a word associated with Sports Chosun but in this case the publication is right. Anybody with any knowledge of Asian soccer would not be able to list Lebanon, Singapore and Uzbekistan as stronger leagues than Korea with a straight face. That didn’t stop a good 48 hours of debate on the big portals.
Just as the fuss died down, out came another rank ranking from the same source, as unwelcome as the early dose of yellow dust from China last week. There were no Korean teams named in the top 100 in the world. The highest-placed was Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma way down at 119. Despite the fact that Chunnam Dragons had finished 10th in the league, the Jeolla Province team were noted as the second strongest in Korea and the 267th best in the world.
With teams from Jordan and Singapore somehow listed above the seven-time Korean champions, it at least provided another day or so entertaining indignation. It also added to the debate that has been ongoing for some time in the media as to how the K-League can be improved.
That is no bad thing and it at least keeps us all occupied during this wintry weather until the tanned teams return in time for the start of the new season in March.
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Showing posts with label K-League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K-League. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, December 28, 2007
Gruesome Christmas Sequel In Korea
In South Korea, Christmas Day is a time for young couples to spend time together. Restaurants and especially movie theatres in Seoul are hardly quiet at any time of the week but they are full to bursting on December 25.
Over this particular festive period, there has been no equivalent of that fantastic film ‘Old Boy’- the comic-inspired account of a man who is imprisoned in a shabby room for 15 years without explanation and then seeks revenge upon his release. Nominated for the Golden Palm award at Cannes in 2004, the Korean film is a classic though at times it does make for some uncomfortable viewing, as does its (vague) sequel, ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengance’.
If those movies were not for the faint of heart, they have nothing on the gruesome sequel that has been jointly produced by leagues both N and K in the Land of the Morning Calm over the past month leaving K-League fans feeling as bewildered as the main character Oh Dae-su as he suddenly stumbles back into Seoul life after a decade and a half.
The N-league is Korea’s second tier. Regular readers may remember that 2006 saw promotion introduced. Unfortunately, Goyang Kookmin Bank, the team that won the play-off, decided to stay where it was rather than pay the $2-3 million that the K-League demands for entry. This money is earmarked for some sort of ‘K League development fund’ although perhaps the best way to ensure development would be to allow promoted clubs to spend such substantial sums on improving their squads.
Anyway, to put an end to such rude refusals, all N-League teams were asked at the start of the season whether they would accept promotion if it was to happen. Some said yes, others no.
With the football gods as perverse as they are, it was perhaps inevitable that of the two teams that qualified for the 2007 promotion play-off, only one actually wanted to go up. Ulsan Mipo had dreams of the K-League while Suwon City Hall was quite happy where it was. The sensible course of action would have been to simply allow Ulsan to go to the K-League. The promotion play-off is, as its name suggests, is designed for one purpose only.
The two-legged fixture went ahead regardless and the first leg was one that will stay in the memory forever. City Hall scored first. Ten minutes before the break, the referee gave a penalty to Ulsan. He sent off a Suwon player for protesting. In the next four minutes, he proceeded to show the red card to another three Suwon players. Incredibly down to seven at half-time, one City Haller deliberately got himself sent off at the start of the second game forcing the referee to abandon proceedings. Ulsan took the first leg 3-0 by default.
The second leg took place the following week. KBS TV decided to drop its live broadcast of the game claiming it was too controversial. Unsurprisingly, Ulsan won 4-1. Despite the unseemly scenes that had gone one, it was hoped that Ulsan’s victory and subsequent promotion would at least enable fans to look forward.
With the champagne still fizzing, Ulsan dropped a bombshell. The club was not sure that it actually wanted to move up a division after all.
“We are studying the problems of promotion and whether to go to the Pro League or not. We haven’t finished looking at the financial implications," Ulsan owner Noh Hong-seob told reporters.
An N-League official was having none of it. “There is no reason for Ulsan not to go up,” he told the press. “There is no problem.”
It was wishful thinking. Just before Christmas Ulsan confirmed that they would stay in the second tier and wouldn’t be clambering up the chimney to the snow-covered rooftop of the K-League.
Stay tuned for the last part of the trilogy.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Over this particular festive period, there has been no equivalent of that fantastic film ‘Old Boy’- the comic-inspired account of a man who is imprisoned in a shabby room for 15 years without explanation and then seeks revenge upon his release. Nominated for the Golden Palm award at Cannes in 2004, the Korean film is a classic though at times it does make for some uncomfortable viewing, as does its (vague) sequel, ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengance’.
If those movies were not for the faint of heart, they have nothing on the gruesome sequel that has been jointly produced by leagues both N and K in the Land of the Morning Calm over the past month leaving K-League fans feeling as bewildered as the main character Oh Dae-su as he suddenly stumbles back into Seoul life after a decade and a half.
The N-league is Korea’s second tier. Regular readers may remember that 2006 saw promotion introduced. Unfortunately, Goyang Kookmin Bank, the team that won the play-off, decided to stay where it was rather than pay the $2-3 million that the K-League demands for entry. This money is earmarked for some sort of ‘K League development fund’ although perhaps the best way to ensure development would be to allow promoted clubs to spend such substantial sums on improving their squads.
Anyway, to put an end to such rude refusals, all N-League teams were asked at the start of the season whether they would accept promotion if it was to happen. Some said yes, others no.
With the football gods as perverse as they are, it was perhaps inevitable that of the two teams that qualified for the 2007 promotion play-off, only one actually wanted to go up. Ulsan Mipo had dreams of the K-League while Suwon City Hall was quite happy where it was. The sensible course of action would have been to simply allow Ulsan to go to the K-League. The promotion play-off is, as its name suggests, is designed for one purpose only.
The two-legged fixture went ahead regardless and the first leg was one that will stay in the memory forever. City Hall scored first. Ten minutes before the break, the referee gave a penalty to Ulsan. He sent off a Suwon player for protesting. In the next four minutes, he proceeded to show the red card to another three Suwon players. Incredibly down to seven at half-time, one City Haller deliberately got himself sent off at the start of the second game forcing the referee to abandon proceedings. Ulsan took the first leg 3-0 by default.
The second leg took place the following week. KBS TV decided to drop its live broadcast of the game claiming it was too controversial. Unsurprisingly, Ulsan won 4-1. Despite the unseemly scenes that had gone one, it was hoped that Ulsan’s victory and subsequent promotion would at least enable fans to look forward.
With the champagne still fizzing, Ulsan dropped a bombshell. The club was not sure that it actually wanted to move up a division after all.
“We are studying the problems of promotion and whether to go to the Pro League or not. We haven’t finished looking at the financial implications," Ulsan owner Noh Hong-seob told reporters.
An N-League official was having none of it. “There is no reason for Ulsan not to go up,” he told the press. “There is no problem.”
It was wishful thinking. Just before Christmas Ulsan confirmed that they would stay in the second tier and wouldn’t be clambering up the chimney to the snow-covered rooftop of the K-League.
Stay tuned for the last part of the trilogy.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Interview: Dragan Mladenovic
There are over 40 foreign players in the K-League. Brazil has always been the favored destination for coaches and owners in the market for new talent. Eastern Europe has also been a fairly popular hunting ground and that is where Dragan Mladenovic started a career that has taken in some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.
The Serbian now plays for Incheon United – the west coast outfit that is a veritable Balkan enclave - but his journey east has been a long one. Born in 1976, the tall midfielder impressed in his local leagues and earned a move to the storied Red Star Belgrade.
The 1991 European champions may not be the continental powerhouse they once were but his performances earned a call-up to the national team in 2003 and a year later, a $3 million move to Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.
“The history at Rangers is bigger than Red Star,” he said, “but Red Star was European champions in 1991 but with tradition and everything, Rangers are a much bigger team.” A bigger team maybe but it wasn’t an easy time for the player who managed only a handful of games before moving onto Spain. “In Glasgow, they didn’t give me a chance. When I was injured, they brought in other players.”
A lack of fitness was one reason but at least Mladenovic got a taste of the famous ‘Old Firm’ clash with city rivals Celtic. “It was very nice,” he recalled. “I have played a few derbies –Red Star and Partizan, Real Sociedad and Atheltico Bilbao, the Basque Derby and Rangers and Celtic at Celtic Park. That was the best derby. The atmosphere is unbelievable, a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
60,000 fans crammed into Celtic Park must seem a world away from the more genteel surroundings of the K-League where some teams have problems filling the large and modern stadiums from that remain from the 2002 World Cup. “I am a professional but sometimes when you see a big stadium and it’s hard to see a crowd and it’s a little disappointing. They have everything here in Korea, the stadiums –they are unbelievable – but there is no crowd, it is a problem.”
Crowds maybe smaller but the player is happy at Incheon, one of the friendliest and forward-thinking clubs in the K-League. “People who know me, they understand why I came here. I don’t want to speak to the media for private reasons. I wanted to get far away from Europe because I had some problems there.
“I am enjoying games, for the first time in my life I am enjoying football. In Korea, they don’t have relegation and they don’t have to fight like in Europe. In Red Star, we won the championship twice, every game we had to win. Here, OK, we go to win but if we don’t win then we don’t get relegated and the players are used to that. That was my problem when I came here, I wanted to win all the time and if we didn’t win then I became angry…at Rangers you have to win. When I went to Real Sociedad, they were second-from-bottom and fighting relegation.”
So there is less pressure in Korea? “Yes, the pressure is much, much less.”
Less pressure but standards in Asia’s oldest professional league are better than many in the west may imagine and after playing in Spain, Scotland and Serbia, Dragan knows that more than most.
“It’s a good league. My friends ask me why I am here but I say ‘believe me, it is a much better league than the league in Serbia and other European leagues.’” And the best team? “Seongnam. They can play in Europe and they would do well. They are the only team that can play well tactically. They run well, they have good players and have good tactics. At any time they know where every player will be and it is good.”
Incheon are not quite at that level yet but the club looks to be moving in the right direction – moving up the table, on to the stock market and soon to a new, purpose-built stadium. Mladenovic would like to see better training and tactics however.
“In Spain, almost everything is with the ball. We don’t spend too much time on the tactical part. In Incheon they have 40 players and many young players. My suggestion is that when you are young you have to learn something. If you play on the wings, you have to learn how to cross well.
“Running is the easiest thing to learn. When you are young you need technical and tactical skills. For me, it is a little disappointing, for the young guys there is too much running.”
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The Serbian now plays for Incheon United – the west coast outfit that is a veritable Balkan enclave - but his journey east has been a long one. Born in 1976, the tall midfielder impressed in his local leagues and earned a move to the storied Red Star Belgrade.
The 1991 European champions may not be the continental powerhouse they once were but his performances earned a call-up to the national team in 2003 and a year later, a $3 million move to Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.
“The history at Rangers is bigger than Red Star,” he said, “but Red Star was European champions in 1991 but with tradition and everything, Rangers are a much bigger team.” A bigger team maybe but it wasn’t an easy time for the player who managed only a handful of games before moving onto Spain. “In Glasgow, they didn’t give me a chance. When I was injured, they brought in other players.”
A lack of fitness was one reason but at least Mladenovic got a taste of the famous ‘Old Firm’ clash with city rivals Celtic. “It was very nice,” he recalled. “I have played a few derbies –Red Star and Partizan, Real Sociedad and Atheltico Bilbao, the Basque Derby and Rangers and Celtic at Celtic Park. That was the best derby. The atmosphere is unbelievable, a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
60,000 fans crammed into Celtic Park must seem a world away from the more genteel surroundings of the K-League where some teams have problems filling the large and modern stadiums from that remain from the 2002 World Cup. “I am a professional but sometimes when you see a big stadium and it’s hard to see a crowd and it’s a little disappointing. They have everything here in Korea, the stadiums –they are unbelievable – but there is no crowd, it is a problem.”
Crowds maybe smaller but the player is happy at Incheon, one of the friendliest and forward-thinking clubs in the K-League. “People who know me, they understand why I came here. I don’t want to speak to the media for private reasons. I wanted to get far away from Europe because I had some problems there.
“I am enjoying games, for the first time in my life I am enjoying football. In Korea, they don’t have relegation and they don’t have to fight like in Europe. In Red Star, we won the championship twice, every game we had to win. Here, OK, we go to win but if we don’t win then we don’t get relegated and the players are used to that. That was my problem when I came here, I wanted to win all the time and if we didn’t win then I became angry…at Rangers you have to win. When I went to Real Sociedad, they were second-from-bottom and fighting relegation.”
So there is less pressure in Korea? “Yes, the pressure is much, much less.”
Less pressure but standards in Asia’s oldest professional league are better than many in the west may imagine and after playing in Spain, Scotland and Serbia, Dragan knows that more than most.
“It’s a good league. My friends ask me why I am here but I say ‘believe me, it is a much better league than the league in Serbia and other European leagues.’” And the best team? “Seongnam. They can play in Europe and they would do well. They are the only team that can play well tactically. They run well, they have good players and have good tactics. At any time they know where every player will be and it is good.”
Incheon are not quite at that level yet but the club looks to be moving in the right direction – moving up the table, on to the stock market and soon to a new, purpose-built stadium. Mladenovic would like to see better training and tactics however.
“In Spain, almost everything is with the ball. We don’t spend too much time on the tactical part. In Incheon they have 40 players and many young players. My suggestion is that when you are young you have to learn something. If you play on the wings, you have to learn how to cross well.
“Running is the easiest thing to learn. When you are young you need technical and tactical skills. For me, it is a little disappointing, for the young guys there is too much running.”
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Starless Steelers Return To Glory Days
2007 K-League champions Pohang Steelers have no stars. That is the official line in South Korean football but it is one that it is only partly true.
The south-eastern outfit may have lacked a big-name player since Lee Dong-gook left for Middlesbrough at the start of the year but there have been some big performances from those in red and black in recent weeks as the team powered through the play-offs to take the title.
“We have no stars but now we have one more star on our shirt. Today we proved that you need effort and determination, not star players to win the championship,” Pohang’s beaming Brazilian coach Sergio Farias told the press after the win at Seongam last week.
“For a year, the players gave their all through some difficult times. I am highly satisfied with the success.”
The 40 year-old is not alone is welcoming a return to the top table of Asian football for the Steelers, formerly known as Posco Atoms. The club’s loyal followers have waited 15 long years to taste domestic success. The older members of that group will remember the glory days. Three league titles in seven seasons at the end of the eighties and the start of the nineties established the club as a genuine powerhouse.
As the decade progressed, it got better. A 1996 FA Cup win provided entry to the Asian Club Championship. Pohang won it. The 1997 triumph was followed by a successful defence in 1998.
So, in less than a decade a half in existence, two continental titles and three domestic league triumphs had been celebrated. The supporters were spoiled and when the trophies stopped arriving at the Steelyard, the fans, as fans are wont to do, started dreaming wistfully of the past. The reality at the time was that the club was struggling in the league, leaving Seongnam, Suwon and Ulsan to take the titles and plaudits.
Slowly however, the Steelers bounced back and up the table. In 2004, only a penalty shootout defeat at the end of a championship play-off final against Suwon denied a league championship. Before the start of the next season, the club saw the subsequent introduction of a young Brazilian coach names Sergio Farias as the missing piece in the Pohang puzzle.Three years later and patience has been rewarded.
Patience is ample but stars are lacking? Hardly, and that’s before the four golden ones that will appear on the famous shirts next season are taken into account. Tavares is in line for the player of the year after 11 assists over the course of the season and a good deal more besides. The Brazilian pulls the strings for Pohang on the park and has been one of the most consistent performers since joining the K-League in 2004.
Park Won-jae excelled in the play-off matches, scoring against Suwon and Seongnam. It is the 23 year-old’s misfortune that he has come to the fore when the national team is without a coach.
Kim Ki-dong’s time has come and gone as far as the Taeguk Warriors are concerned but the old warhorse is still going strong. The 34 year-old started his career when Pohang was last champion and over 400 games (and according to the official stats, 602 fouls) later, he finally collected a winner’s medal.Kim is talking about playing until he is 40 and anybody who has watched him in action up and down the southern half of the Korean peninsula would not doubt his ability to do so.
Also not in doubt is the potential of goalkeeper Jung Syung-ryeong. Three goals conceded in five play-off games suggest a solid backline. There may be no head coach but the national team’s goalkeeping guru is still in employment and has witnessed Jung consistently deny the best strikers that the league has to offer.
Perhaps the talk of no stars refers to the fact that it has been a genuine team effort and that is hard to argue with. Pohang work hard and are hard to beat.
With coach Farias due to sign a new contract, the signs are that it won’t be another 15 years until Pohang is once again the champion of South Korea.
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The south-eastern outfit may have lacked a big-name player since Lee Dong-gook left for Middlesbrough at the start of the year but there have been some big performances from those in red and black in recent weeks as the team powered through the play-offs to take the title.
“We have no stars but now we have one more star on our shirt. Today we proved that you need effort and determination, not star players to win the championship,” Pohang’s beaming Brazilian coach Sergio Farias told the press after the win at Seongam last week.
“For a year, the players gave their all through some difficult times. I am highly satisfied with the success.”
The 40 year-old is not alone is welcoming a return to the top table of Asian football for the Steelers, formerly known as Posco Atoms. The club’s loyal followers have waited 15 long years to taste domestic success. The older members of that group will remember the glory days. Three league titles in seven seasons at the end of the eighties and the start of the nineties established the club as a genuine powerhouse.
As the decade progressed, it got better. A 1996 FA Cup win provided entry to the Asian Club Championship. Pohang won it. The 1997 triumph was followed by a successful defence in 1998.
So, in less than a decade a half in existence, two continental titles and three domestic league triumphs had been celebrated. The supporters were spoiled and when the trophies stopped arriving at the Steelyard, the fans, as fans are wont to do, started dreaming wistfully of the past. The reality at the time was that the club was struggling in the league, leaving Seongnam, Suwon and Ulsan to take the titles and plaudits.
Slowly however, the Steelers bounced back and up the table. In 2004, only a penalty shootout defeat at the end of a championship play-off final against Suwon denied a league championship. Before the start of the next season, the club saw the subsequent introduction of a young Brazilian coach names Sergio Farias as the missing piece in the Pohang puzzle.Three years later and patience has been rewarded.
Patience is ample but stars are lacking? Hardly, and that’s before the four golden ones that will appear on the famous shirts next season are taken into account. Tavares is in line for the player of the year after 11 assists over the course of the season and a good deal more besides. The Brazilian pulls the strings for Pohang on the park and has been one of the most consistent performers since joining the K-League in 2004.
Park Won-jae excelled in the play-off matches, scoring against Suwon and Seongnam. It is the 23 year-old’s misfortune that he has come to the fore when the national team is without a coach.
Kim Ki-dong’s time has come and gone as far as the Taeguk Warriors are concerned but the old warhorse is still going strong. The 34 year-old started his career when Pohang was last champion and over 400 games (and according to the official stats, 602 fouls) later, he finally collected a winner’s medal.Kim is talking about playing until he is 40 and anybody who has watched him in action up and down the southern half of the Korean peninsula would not doubt his ability to do so.
Also not in doubt is the potential of goalkeeper Jung Syung-ryeong. Three goals conceded in five play-off games suggest a solid backline. There may be no head coach but the national team’s goalkeeping guru is still in employment and has witnessed Jung consistently deny the best strikers that the league has to offer.
Perhaps the talk of no stars refers to the fact that it has been a genuine team effort and that is hard to argue with. Pohang work hard and are hard to beat.
With coach Farias due to sign a new contract, the signs are that it won’t be another 15 years until Pohang is once again the champion of South Korea.
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Sunday, November 11, 2007
Silky Steelers Shatter Seongnam
It was surprisingly easy in the end. Pohang Steelers defeated Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 1-0 in the second leg of the final of the 2007 K-League championship play-off series to add to their 3-1 win a week previously.
As Kim Ki-dong lifted the golden trophy on a chilly November afternoon at Seongnam’s Tancheon Stadium, he became the fourth Pohang captain to do so but the first in 15 years.
It is open for debate as to whether the south-eastern outfit deserve to be champions after finishing in fifth (and with a negative goal difference) at the end of the regular season but in the play-offs, Pohang were dynamite.
The fuse burned slowly at first. A penalty shootout win at Gyeongnam FC after 120 minutes of football on October 20 finished 1-1. The reward was another short trip –this time to rivals and 2005 champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i. A deserved 2-1 win was the result and suddenly the Steelers were 90 minutes away from the final. There was a formidable barrier in the way however, a big blue one in the shape of Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
That was no problem either. An 87th minute, slightly fortuitous backward-diving header from Park Won-jae won the game and silenced the famous Grand Bleu.
By this time, the Korean media was getting excited about the possibility of Pohang boss Sergio Farias becoming the next coach of the national team. A Brazilian with success in the K-League looked to be the best of both worlds. Unfortunately for the 40-year old, he enjoys little support in the KFA and if he was to get the job, he would be far from first choice.
Back to the play-offs and it was expected that Seongnam, who finished four points clear at the top of the standings at the end of the regular season, would be a test to far for Pohang.
That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Pohang took the first leg 3-1. Only some desperate defending and a last-minute strike from Seongnam’s Keith Gillespie lookalike left-back Jang Hak-young kept the cushion at a respectable two goals.
It was Seongnam’s first game since their Asian Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Urawa Reds. Tempting as it is to use that epic 4-4 encounter and the subsequent penalty shootout heartbreak as a reason for Seongnam’s sluggishness, the fact is that since the summer, the seven-time champions haven’t been at their best. As boss Kim Hak-beom said after the Pohang loss, “the players didn’t play the Seongnam way.”
Pohang won the second leg almost as comfortably as they took the first. From the moment, Brazilian striker Cleber Schwenck hammered the ball into the top corner of the hosts’ net on the stroke of half-time, the destination of the golden trophy was never in doubt.
Seongnam knew it too, despite their best efforts. In truth, the yellows rarely troubled Jung Ryoeng-syong in the Pohang goal and the visitors could have scored more.
It didn’t matter in the end. A 4-1 aggregate win over the defending champions in the play-off final is emphatic enough.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Monday, October 22, 2007
Play-Off, Kick-Off, Send-Off
Just as the weather was turning cold in South Korea, the action on the pitch got hot as the play-off series kicked off. Some of the fans kicked off too. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang got involved with Daejeon Citizen supporters.
Anybody who has been to a few K-League games will be familiar with the scene. Fans disapprove of a refereeing decision and vent by throwing plastic water bottles on the pitch. Cue the arrival of their team’s players to appeal for calm while everyone else waits the five minutes or so that it usually takes for the game to restart.
After you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all but Sunday was a little different. Daejeon fans are some of the best in Korea but can get a little carried away. With ten minutes or so remaining of the play-off match, the Citizen were two goals down and facing an end to their season.
Time was running out as Daejeon attacked. A player went down, fans called for a penalty but the referee gave a free-kick just outside the box. The purple hordes behind the goal made their feelings known and one missile hit Ulsan’s goalkeeper. Ulsan’s World Cup Stadium witnessed Rivaldo’s theatrics against Turkey at the 2002 competition, but Kim stood his ground. Not only that but the ex-Chunnam star threw one of the offending articles back from whence it came.
The ripple that the object caused as it fell in the sea of away fans was immediate and obvious, Dozens of supporters charged down to the front of the enclosure. And more bottles came Kim’s way. Perhaps realizing his earlier mistake, Kim caught one and drank its contents while his team-mates dragged him out of harm’s way. Daejeon players, perhaps accustomed to the ritual, adeptly dodged the missiles and gestured for the fans to cut it out.
When order was eventually restored, the referee gestured for Kim to leave the pitch. It took some time for the goalkeeper, by now in tears, to be persuaded to head down the tunnel.
With the man advantage, Daejeon continued to attack and went close on a number of occasions, attempts that usually ended with the mercurial Ko Jong-soo standing with hands-on-hips while glaring at a team-mate who had failed to convert one of his crosses or set pieces.
Two headers from two players given too much space in the box sealed the win for Ulsan who host Pohang Steelers in the next stage of the play-off series next week. The Steelers had been involved in some drama the previous evening during their win at Gyeongnam FC but it was of the artificial kind as they triumphed in a penalty shootout.
It was a disappointing night all around for Gyeongnam. The southerners had impressed when finishing fourth during the regular season but never really got going against Pohang. Their performance wasn’t helped by the fact that the stadium was largely empty. It was a cold night but free entry and the biggest game of the club’s short history should have seen more bums on seats.
It could be the last time that they see Cabore in the red and white. The Brazilian found the target a total of 17 times during the season and is now being chased by Suwon. With his team a goal down and three minutes from the final whistle, he produced the goods once again with a close range header to take the game into extra time.
The hosts went close in the next 30 minutes but were unable to avoid the dreaded penalty shootout. Guess who missed for Gyeongnam? It can be a cruel game.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
26 Games, Six Teams Standing
The system has its critics but the play-offs gave the K-League regular season a final day to remember. Six teams out of 14 doing battle in the championship deciders may be a high percentage but without the games, we would have just been treated to the sight of Seongnam strolling to another title.
It is partly Seongnam’s fault that the system was reinstalled. After a 2003 season in which the Gyeonggi Province club won the league by 18 points, 2004 saw the rebirth of the play-offs. The following three seasons saw four teams fight it out but the K-League extended that to six at the start of 2007.
Seongnam finished first again and while there was no trophy, they did receive a consolation prize – the club will only face one opponent in a two-legged clash in November. Suwon Samsung Bluewings finished four points behind in second and are guaranteed a one-leg semi-final at home on October 31. Suwon’s opponent for that game will be the team that emerges from the battle between those who finished third to sixth.
Going into the final day of the regular season, two of those spots had been claimed already. Gyeongnam FC and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I were guaranteed to finished third and fourth. Only two spots were up for grabs –fifth and sixth.
Of the five teams still in with a chance, FC Seoul were the best placed –in fifth to be exact, three points clear of seventh and in need of just a point at lowly Daegu FC. Such a result looked to be well within Seoul’s reach as Senol Gunes’s men had drawn 13 of the preceding 25 games.
Pohang Steelers occupied sixth and knew that a win at home against fellow play-off chasers Incheon United would be enough. Incheon were in the same boat as Daejeon Citizen and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors; clubs that needed to win and other results to go their way.
A defeat for Seoul was necessary and that is what happened. Brazilian striker Luisinho fired home the only goal of the game after 34 minutes at Daegu World Cup Stadium.
Pohang got their three points with a 3-2 win to claim their play-off place in a game that wasn’t as close as the scoreline suggests. That result ended Incheon’s dreams and Jeonbuk’s season. The Asian Champions struggled to a 2-1 win at home to bottom club Gwangju Sangmu. It was Jeonbuk’s first victory in nine games but it was too little too late.
That left Daejeon Citizen. The 2001 FA Cup winners hadn’t looked like play-off candidates at the end of the first half of the season, collecting 13 points from the first 13 games. During the summer, coach Choi Yoon-kyum hit his assistant over the head with a beer glass during a drinking session. Such an act is not an automatic firing offence in Korea and for a while, Choi looked like staying on, backed by fans as well as his stitched-up sidekick. The number two soon changed his mind and Choi changed jobs,
Kim Ho stepped in. The 1994 World Cup and former Suwon coach is more of a soju man and also changed a few other traditions in Daejeon. In the first half of the season, the Citizen had drawn seven out of 13 games but Kim’s revolutionary concept that a win is three times better than a draw caught on. From August, Daejeon lost five games ( more than it lost in the first stage) but won the other eight to collect 24 points..
It was a close-run thing however. Despite Daejeon’s improved form, only a late run of four consecutive wins had put them in with a chance on the final day and with a good record at home against Suwon, the home fans were confident.
They were ecstatic when Brazilian striker Shuba scored the only goal of the game in the second half. Daejeon should have scored more but the finish wasn’t too tense. Suwon’s slim hopes of catching Seongnam meant that as the game drew to a close, the Bluewings weren’t too concerned about scoring a goal that would have shot rivals Seoul into the playoffs.
Daejeon’s response at the end was an emotional one but the team have little time to celebrate. They have a game at Ulsan on Sunday, the day after Gyeongnam host Pohang. The two winners will play-off against each other a week later for the right to face Suwon.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Interview: FC Seoul's Senol Gunes
Senol Gunes arrived in South Korea to take over FC Seoul at the start of 2007. It wasn't his first time in the Land of the Morning Calm as five years earlier, he guided Turkey to the semi-finals of the World Cup. The talkative 55 year-old from Trabzon found time to chat about his first year in the K-League.
Why come to Korea?
At the end of 2004 I had offers from the Korean national team and FC Seoul, I had two offers. My plan was to come to Korea because I liked Korea from the 2002 World Cup but my team in Turkey, Trabzonspor wanted me to stay.
I liked Korea, the systems and the infrastructure. I had two choices. The first was to go to a European country like Germany or Spain and the second one was to come to Korea. If I had gone to the European countries, they have a professional mentality and they at a are high level.
In Asian countries, the level is not so high. If I come here I can learn many things and it is a good country. In Europe, there is lots of competition, Korea has that too and you can teach something to the Koreans. When I was in Turkey, FC Seoul told me that they had lots of young players. I was happy to hear this as I love working with young players. I came here and was happy to meet them. They are 18 or so, and that makes me a teacher.
In Asia, there are not many countries that have good conditions, China is one and Korea is another. In Korea, it is well-organised, they made a great World Cup, the fans are good and the stadiums are great. There is a small problem with mentality.
The players?
Yes, the players. The clubs are OK because there are big companies behind them. In training, sometimes I get angry with the players but sometimes I really like them because they are so cute, they have good minds. For these reasons, I chose Korea. I like it, the training facilities, the players, everything is good. I have been here only eight months and it is a good experience. Just now, results are not good but I am sure they will get better. I don’t have small plans, I have long-term plans.
Looking back, do you think winning the first three games was not the best way to start as it raised expectations?
I met the team in January and we had a training camp in Turkey. In March the season started and we had our best eleven. The first month was wonderful for us as we had our best team but unfortunately, April was not so good as we had injuries.
The first games we had good results and our fans expectations grew but we had a lot of young players. We had problems in midfield and forwards. We have five injured players. We won the first five games and the players were not ready for these kinds of expectations and the fans were expecting us to win every game and it is not that easy.
If we have enough experienced players then it is no problem but as we have many young players it was difficult for them.
As a coach when you have eight or nine games when you don’t score or don’t win like FC Seoul did, what practical things can you do in training and what do you tell the players?
The training sessions were not so hard as it was in the middle of the season. Pre-season we were training twice a day but in the season we were playing twice a week so we had no time to train. It is difficult to do too much.
Training is very important, it should prepare the players for the game. If you train hard then the game will be easy for you. I told the players to change their mentality and to look at English games. If you look at the Premier League, the tempo is so fast. I told our players: ‘no-one dies in training, don’t worry, you can work hard.’ At the beginning they didn’t know this mentality but now they are changing.
The young players are not ready to communicate on the pitch. I have to make extra training for them –an extra 15-20 minutes more. Unfortunately, they don’t know the reason why the coach gives them more and they are not happy.
Sometimes we have problems because of the different culture. We have hired psychologist from a university who comes once a month to teach the players about mentality. We need more time of course, eight months is not long. Training is not only running.
Can you give examples of cultural problems?
The big problem in Korea is the age problem. Everybody should be the same level- we are eleven players. Unfortunately, sometimes the senior players get angry and shout at the younger players. All the players are my players, the team.
The second problem is that Korean players don’t have an open mind towards their head coach. If I ask them, ‘do you have any injuries?’, they always say, ‘I am OK.’ In our football mentality, we are all friends but for Koreans, the coach is a teacher, almost like a god. I say to them, ‘I am your friend, you can tell me anything, any problems with your family, private life, training, if something is hard –talk to me. Tell me you want a rest.’ But we don’t have enough dialogue. The players are just waiting for orders from the coach.
I don’t always like to order. Sometimes they have to create something themselves.
Hiddink said similar things…
Yes. They have many things – facilities, and good players but the results aren’t good. We have some good players but after time, the players should improve but there is often no change. The answer is not always on the field. Social life is important –sleeping, eating, relationships, girlfriends –everything.
As a foreign coach, do you think it is possible to change this?
It is not easy but not impossible. We can wait and say ‘if you don’t change, then you go.’ Or we can wait and teach them everything we know and slowly it will change. The second way is the best way.
What did you learn about your players when the team wasn’t winning?
Compared to other countries, Korean players are eager and clean. When you say something, they listen and want to practice. I learned that I am an important person as head coach but I am not a god. I learned that the players have to open their minds. We say ‘give your bodies to us, and we will take care of you but they don’t open their minds.
Perhaps it would help if you brought players in from Turkey to show the kind of thing you want, why haven’t you done that?
This is a good idea, we can give the players a sample. I have a plan to bring a player called Shota Arveladze from Trabzonspor, he is not Turkish but played for Ajax.
He will come to Seoul?
We hope so but at the moment he can’t come, he went to Spain.
In the past you mentioned Tumir Matin…
We have plans to bring in some Turkish players. It is the best way to show the players what we want from them. Some of them have been playing for 25 years so eight months is not a long time. Next season we will bring in some players. This season is the last chance for the players here, if they use this chance, they can perhaps play next season.
The foreign players?
Yes. In Korea, the foreign players should change many things in Korean football, they should help the head coach.
What about (Portuguese midfielder) Ricardo? Quite suddenly, you dropped him and said negative things about him, what happened?
The problem was that he joined the training camp late. He wanted to go to Portugal but maybe he couldn’t join a team there and he came back late. He is a good player but just joined the camp late. He was not ready to play. He had some problems in March and April. A team is like a family, if there is a problem in your team, you need to choose the player or the team.
I then said to him, ‘can I give you one more chance. If you do your best, I can forgive you.’ He said “Ok, I will do my best’ and now he is doing well.
Seoul lacked creativity in the first half of the season but you didn't select your most creative player...
As last season finished, the club called me and asked me if I wanted Ricardo for this season. I saw some videos and thought he was I good player and I wanted to use him. He had a small problem with the other players. I talked to him many times but he didn’t change.
At that time he told me he had some problems with the Korean culture and players. Of course, we can’t change the Korean people, you have to change.
What kind of problems?
When he joined the camp, he was not happy, his family was not here. In training, he didn’t do well. When I asked him to do something, he said ‘I don’t want to do that.’ It was a bad example for the younger players.
You have had a problem scoring goals but during the summer you had a first chance to bring in some new players yet you brought in a defender. Why?
That’s a good question. We have three foreign players. Dudu had an operation and wasn’t ready. At first we had a plan to bring some foreign players, if Ricardo goes, one can come. Ricardo stayed so we had no chance to sign any foreign players. Dudu is contracted until the end of the season.
How about Korean players?
We have many forwards here, six or seven players. Unfortunately we couldn’t get them into the team – only two players can play. It is hard to bring new guys because I have many strikers. During the first stage, the strikers were injured but I knew they would come back for the second stage so I didn’t need any more players. It is the same in midfield.
Next season we can make more preparations. Also, the summer break is very short, only one month, at the end of the season we will have two or three months, it is much more time. This season is the time for the players to take their chances and next season we will decide about the foreign players and Korean players.
Is there money available for new players?
Yes, of course. We have plans. We will decide in a few months. I will use the players until the end of the season and then if I need more, I will decide.
At least with the injuries, it has given you a chance to look at many players…
Yes. From the first game of the season in March, to the last game of the first half in the Hauzen Cup, eight players were different. Not only injured but we have many players called to the different national teams. The Ulsan team, only one or two players have changed. It makes things difficult for us.
We have two targets for this season. The first is the FA Cup (Seoul have since been eliminated) and the second is the play-offs. We have problems but we will not give up. We reached the Hauzen Cup final but we lost. In the K-League we lost many points, we drew ten games – maybe a new record in Korea.
You have talked about needing more creativity in the national team and that is something necessary in the K-League too, what kind of things can you do to bring more creativity and more goalscorers?
Goals make games. I want to play exciting football but we have been missing players. Park Chu-young is our star player but is still injured. Jung Jo-gook and Dudu have been injured. If we had these good players together with Ricardo who can provide good passes then we can score more.
Even with all the players available, what kind of practical things can you do?
The first is that all players should think ‘attack’. When defenders get the ball, their minds must be thinking of attack. Unfortunately in Korea when defenders get the ball, they don’t about attack, they just move backwards and wait there and don’t move forward.
The second point is that attackers don’t have enough ability. In our training we have extra time regarding attacking and crossing, dribbling and shooting. We haven’t been able to have all the players together yet. Rooney is a good player but now he is injured and can’t play for Manchester United. All the players in that team are good players but since Rooney was absent, they are having problems to score goals.
When we played with Kim Eun-jung, Dudu and Jung Jo-gook, we were really comfortable but then they were all injured. Now I feel like I am not the coach, because there is often only one player I can select for a position!
Do you feel that Suwon are your main rivals?
We played well against Suwon but that level is not our level, we have to reach a higher level. Suwon have lots of experienced players who can control the game. It is not easy for our young players in such a game. Their players are Korean national team players, they know how to manage the game. I check the Ulsan team and it is similar, only one player is 21.
We have conceded too many goals and have dropped four points in the games against Jeju and Gwangju. From now we aim to win all the games, the play-offs are important for us. We have a bad situation but we still have to aim for the championship and the play-offs.
What do you think of the play-off system?
I think that it is not a good system. For example our team could finish sixth and then could win the championship. The championship should be for the full season. All season we have had injuries but if we finish sixth we will reach the play-offs. If our injured players come back we can reach the final and for that game if Seongnam’s players are not in good condition and they have injuries, they can lose even though they have been leading the table all season.
The Hauzen Cup system is not good, we don’t get anything from that. For example, Gyeongnam lost two games in the cup and then they gave up, we have to change the system in Korea, including the play-offs. The team that finishes first should be champions. It is not fair for the team that finishes first.
What lessons have you learned from this season that you can use next season?
I have learned about my players, the K-League, referees, our fans etc, many things. I learned many things about the Hauzen Cup for next season. I give the young players chances to play but they went to the national team. I want my players to play for the national team but many times they couldn’t play with us. For the Hauzen Cup final and the FA Cup second round, four players had to go to the youth national team and we have many players in the Olympic team and national team.
I learned in Korea that if there is a national team game and the next day a league game, we can’t use your players.
As coach of Turkey surely you did the same?
In Turkey, if one team has many national team players then the club’s game is cancelled. If you have a NT game on Wednesday for example, all players play on Sunday and then on Monday they can go. For example, on the 31st the Olympic team camp starts and they have called the players, the next day we have a game at Gyeongnam. They have called five players. The game is on September 8. Why don’t they take the players after the Gyeongnam game? We are being punished for having good young players. They should give us a bonus.
Next season will FC Seoul try to win the Hauzen Cup?
We played ten games in the cup and we won the most points. In the final game, we couldn’t play many players. If it is the same system next season, I will make the cup less important. As a coach, of course I want to win trophies but other competitions are more important.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Friday, September 28, 2007
Full Moon Spells Quarter Doom For Jeonbuk
The Korean thanksgiving holiday is a time to spend with family and pay respects to ancestors that have passed away. What it is not, is a time to do any unnecessary travel. More than half the nation moves around the southern half of the peninsula to visit hometowns. The nightly television news programs all start by broadcasting the same pictures with relish. The first is of the full harvest moon, an image followed by shots of expressways that are equally bloated.
Mounting journey times between major cities are gravely but breathlessly relayed to those lucky enough to be sat in their own homes. The barometer is Seoul-Busan. It usually takes around five hours to drive from the capital to the south coast port but during ‘Chuseok’, that will only get you about halfway.
That was the point that the Asian Champions quarter-final between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Urawa Reds was at on the last day of the harvest festivities with the second leg action due to take place in Korea.
A week previously in Saitama, the Japanese champions had given the Asian champions a footballing lesson. If the two-goal lead that the Reds enjoyed for much of the game had been carried over the East Sea and into South Korea for the second leg, Urawa coach Holger Osieck would have been delighted though perhaps a little disappointed that the J-League leaders hadn’t managed more. As it was, Jeonbuk’s veteran defender Choi Jin-cheul popped up at the last minute to give the visitors a vital away goal and a good deal of hope.
The smart money was still on Urawa to progress but only just. Jeonbuk had shown while winning the competition a year before that what they sometimes lack in finesse, they make up with passion, power and a never-say-die spirit. Such play doesn’t always make a difference in the K-league that has an abundance of those qualities. Going into the second leg, Jeonbuk may have been in fifth place in the league but were 17 points behind second and only five above Daejeon Citizen down in 11th.
Travelling down to the city of Jeonju, where Jeonbuk are based, from Seoul is always a pleasant journey but more so on the final day of the holidays. The number of people heading south-west was dwarfed by the millions scrambling back to the capital. There were enough Japanese fans making the same journey to give credence to reports suggesting that the home supporters could be similarly outnumbered. The sight of an army of red-clad fans tumbling off buses at expressway rest areas to swamp restaurants and convenience stores, but strangely not the kiosks that blast out sixties and seventies Korean music, was reminiscent of past away days in England.
Their destination was North Jeolla Province in the south-west region of South Korea. It is a beautiful place - full of mountains, deep valleys, lush fields and, if you believe those who hail from the south-east of the country, people who can’t be trusted as far as they can be thrown. It is a stereotype that is hard to believe as folk that hail from Jeolla are as friendly as their version of the national dish, kimchi, is salty.
Jeonju is the capital of the region and while it may be the home of the Asian champions, it is better known for food not football. The city of 600,000 is the birthplace of the famous Korean dish Bi Bim Bap, a bowl of mixed vegetables, rice and spicy pepper sauce that tastes considerably better than that description suggests.
The Urawa coach wasn’t planning to treat his team to a dish of the local specialty; he expected that his players would be served up a generous helping of ‘bim’ and ‘bap’ on the field. Prior to the game he warned the starting eleven that they could expect to get kicked around the pitch at the 44,000 capacity Jeonju World Cup Stadium, an arena that is both large and intimate.
In truth, he wasn’t wrong. Some of Jeonbuk’s tackles would have been x-rated stuff even in the laxer leagues of Europe. Around 20,000 Jeonbuk fans and the 5,000 away supporters created an excellent atmosphere and the Saudi Arabian referee looked increasingly out of his depth as the game progressed.
He didn’t help matters by choosing to send off Chung Kyung-ho, one of the nicest players in the K-League both to watch and to meet. The winger was harshly booked for dissent early on and then shown a second yellow for a dive midway through the first half. There were other players much more deserving of a place in referee’s book than the former international.
Still, football is not always fair but the end result probably was and Urawa return to Korea for the semi-final, this time to face champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.The moon won’t be full but, for the mouth-watering clash between the holders of leagues J and K, the stadium will be.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Sunday, September 23, 2007
Agent: Lee Chun-Soo Will Be Feyenoord Success
Dennis Murray is head of GSEN Europe, an agency that specialises in helping South Korean players move to Europe. Murray is the man who negotiated Lee Chun-soo’s recent transfer to Feyenoord and he found time for a quick chat regarding the transfer.
Tell us about GSEN.
GSEN Korea is managed by Kim Dong-guk and looks after players like Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and a few other players.
In the Netherlands, Lee Young- pyo's manager and I discussed about me doing business for GSEN. I started the European headquarters in order to help put Korean players in European clubs.
GSEN only deals with Korean players?
GSEN Europe only deals with Korean players, GSEN Korea is looking at foreign players.
Why do you think European clubs are interested in Korean players?
It is not specifically Korean players that they are interested in but good players. It’s not a matter of attracting a Korean player but attracting a good player that happens to be Korean.
How does the process work?
Basically we know about every European club – what positions they need etc. Prior to the beginning of the transfer window, you can see a lot of agents, including us, start faxing CVs and sending DVD’s to clubs, trying to pitch their player for that specific position. The scouts and the technical staff will then take a look at the most promising players.
Once they are interested, then they will enquire to the club or watch a few live games of the player to get a sense of what he is like in a real situation and not just on screen. When they like it, they will put him on a shortlist and for every position that they need, the club will have a few players in mind. They will start with player one and if player one is not an option then they will move down the list until they reach somebody they can get.
SO GSEN has a pool of players in Korea that it can recommend to European teams?
Exactly. We have players with our agency but sometimes a club will say to us that ‘we have a player that wants to move, we want you to represent us a club as the player moves.
That’s what happened with Lee Chun-soo?
Yes. Ulsan (Lee's K-League club) gave us the mandate. I was asked by GSEN Korea to look in the Netherlands. I had three options. Feyenoord was the first option and a direct hit.
What about the other two clubs?
I looked at a suitable club for him and only three qualified. Feyenoord, AZ and Ajax. Feyenoord was the best option since he gets to play in a good team with good players (like Giovanni van Bronkhorst, Roy Makaay) and work with a great coach (Bert van Marwijk.)
He should fit in just fine. Also his success later on in the EPL will be guaranteed since the Dutch League is the perfect stepping stone for Korean players when adjusting.
Why didn’t Lee move directly to England?
At the time when I received his CV the question was can you search for a good European club? I knew there were genuine offers from EPL clubs but I strongly suggested that he should consider moving to a Dutch club first.
The reason and only reason is to do away with the reports of him moving to the EPL on the back of Korean sponsorship deals. He is a very gifted and skilled player who doesn't need piggy back rides like that. That's why a move to the Dutch League instead of the EPL would come as a surprise and will show his credibility as a player. That shows his character.
There was interest from England?
It was not that he refused to go to a EPL club. The idea was if a club is first and most concrete about the permanent transfer offer that he would choose to go to that club. At first his focus was only EPL clubs.
Fulham, Chelsea, Wigan, Portsmouth and West Ham United. Fulham made a concrete loan offer but only a permanent transfer was sought after by both Ulsan and Lee.
I knew I could arrange the permanent transfer for him at the mentioned Dutch clubs so I suggested to take them in account as well. Especially since it will not be tainted with sponsorship linking.
Don't get me wrong though, the EPL is still his main and firm goal. So after three good years at Feyenoord you might see that move happen. If Feyenoord wants to sell him earlier, then it will happen sooner of course.
How easy were the negotations with Feyenoord?
It was not easy. Once I got involved, the negotations took only 15 minutes but it was not easy. Once agents know that a club is interested in a certain player they will try to bypass you and say that they are the player's representatives.
That has been Lee’s problem in the past hasn’t it? He’s been close to a move but his many agents make it complex.
Exactly. At the time, I was waiting for Feyenoord to come back to me because we had pitched Lee at the end of May, early June. We had some phone conversations and then we had to wait for Feyenoord because the club had other options.
All of a sudden, we learned that Feyenoord was dealing already.
Dealing with Ulsan?
That’s the question! It was an agent who claimed to be representing the club which was not possible because we had the mandate from the club. Feyenoord thought that it was over because Ulsan didn’t want to talk any more.
I got the call that Feyenoord was dealing but the deal (a loan deal) fell through. I called the club’s technical director and asked him what was going on. He replied that ‘we have a problem, we really want this player.’ I said OK, I gave him all the terms that I had agreed with Ulsan and the player through GSEN Korea.
It took only 15 minutes for Feyenoord to say yes and then we told Ulsan and Ulsan were also very quick to say yes. From then, it was up to Lee’s manager to go with the personal terms that I had negoitiated for the player and they also agreed,
This was like hours before the deadline and Lee still needed a medical. We arranged a medical in Seoul (because flying to Amsterdam was not possible at that time), Feyenoord really wanted him so they said OK and they appointed a doctor. It was done. It was not a textbook deal!
Sounds quick but difficult!
Yes. The difficulty always comes when other agents come forward and say they are representing the player.
Is it common to have multiple agents?
It is not just limited to Korea. It happens all over the world –in South America, in England even. You probably hear stories of players signing two or three contracts because they are represented by different agents.
Why do players do this?
The younger players are easily influenced by dubious agents. They say ‘I can get you this and this at a great club, just sign here.’ And they sign. The next day another agent comes and he has an even better offer and they sign.
Will Lee Chun-soo be a success?
I know he can be. He needs to look at the communication. He needs to be able to communicate with his coach and his team. I understand that will not be a problem. He will be helped in the Netherlands with anything he needs.
He will be the biggest Korean success in the Netherlands and after that I can help him move to the EPL.
I am happy that he is here and can play here. He is a very good player.
How about Park Chu-young?
For Park Chu-young there was and still is interest in Europe. Problem was that he was not a very physical player. But seeing him now after recovery from his injury I don't think that will be regarded as any issue anymore. He is more bulky looking at the moment so physical play should not be a problem.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Tell us about GSEN.
GSEN Korea is managed by Kim Dong-guk and looks after players like Lee Young-pyo, Seol Ki-hyeon and a few other players.
In the Netherlands, Lee Young- pyo's manager and I discussed about me doing business for GSEN. I started the European headquarters in order to help put Korean players in European clubs.
GSEN only deals with Korean players?
GSEN Europe only deals with Korean players, GSEN Korea is looking at foreign players.
Why do you think European clubs are interested in Korean players?
It is not specifically Korean players that they are interested in but good players. It’s not a matter of attracting a Korean player but attracting a good player that happens to be Korean.
How does the process work?
Basically we know about every European club – what positions they need etc. Prior to the beginning of the transfer window, you can see a lot of agents, including us, start faxing CVs and sending DVD’s to clubs, trying to pitch their player for that specific position. The scouts and the technical staff will then take a look at the most promising players.
Once they are interested, then they will enquire to the club or watch a few live games of the player to get a sense of what he is like in a real situation and not just on screen. When they like it, they will put him on a shortlist and for every position that they need, the club will have a few players in mind. They will start with player one and if player one is not an option then they will move down the list until they reach somebody they can get.
SO GSEN has a pool of players in Korea that it can recommend to European teams?
Exactly. We have players with our agency but sometimes a club will say to us that ‘we have a player that wants to move, we want you to represent us a club as the player moves.
That’s what happened with Lee Chun-soo?
Yes. Ulsan (Lee's K-League club) gave us the mandate. I was asked by GSEN Korea to look in the Netherlands. I had three options. Feyenoord was the first option and a direct hit.
What about the other two clubs?
I looked at a suitable club for him and only three qualified. Feyenoord, AZ and Ajax. Feyenoord was the best option since he gets to play in a good team with good players (like Giovanni van Bronkhorst, Roy Makaay) and work with a great coach (Bert van Marwijk.)
He should fit in just fine. Also his success later on in the EPL will be guaranteed since the Dutch League is the perfect stepping stone for Korean players when adjusting.
Why didn’t Lee move directly to England?
At the time when I received his CV the question was can you search for a good European club? I knew there were genuine offers from EPL clubs but I strongly suggested that he should consider moving to a Dutch club first.
The reason and only reason is to do away with the reports of him moving to the EPL on the back of Korean sponsorship deals. He is a very gifted and skilled player who doesn't need piggy back rides like that. That's why a move to the Dutch League instead of the EPL would come as a surprise and will show his credibility as a player. That shows his character.
There was interest from England?
It was not that he refused to go to a EPL club. The idea was if a club is first and most concrete about the permanent transfer offer that he would choose to go to that club. At first his focus was only EPL clubs.
Fulham, Chelsea, Wigan, Portsmouth and West Ham United. Fulham made a concrete loan offer but only a permanent transfer was sought after by both Ulsan and Lee.
I knew I could arrange the permanent transfer for him at the mentioned Dutch clubs so I suggested to take them in account as well. Especially since it will not be tainted with sponsorship linking.
Don't get me wrong though, the EPL is still his main and firm goal. So after three good years at Feyenoord you might see that move happen. If Feyenoord wants to sell him earlier, then it will happen sooner of course.
How easy were the negotations with Feyenoord?
It was not easy. Once I got involved, the negotations took only 15 minutes but it was not easy. Once agents know that a club is interested in a certain player they will try to bypass you and say that they are the player's representatives.
That has been Lee’s problem in the past hasn’t it? He’s been close to a move but his many agents make it complex.
Exactly. At the time, I was waiting for Feyenoord to come back to me because we had pitched Lee at the end of May, early June. We had some phone conversations and then we had to wait for Feyenoord because the club had other options.
All of a sudden, we learned that Feyenoord was dealing already.
Dealing with Ulsan?
That’s the question! It was an agent who claimed to be representing the club which was not possible because we had the mandate from the club. Feyenoord thought that it was over because Ulsan didn’t want to talk any more.
I got the call that Feyenoord was dealing but the deal (a loan deal) fell through. I called the club’s technical director and asked him what was going on. He replied that ‘we have a problem, we really want this player.’ I said OK, I gave him all the terms that I had agreed with Ulsan and the player through GSEN Korea.
It took only 15 minutes for Feyenoord to say yes and then we told Ulsan and Ulsan were also very quick to say yes. From then, it was up to Lee’s manager to go with the personal terms that I had negoitiated for the player and they also agreed,
This was like hours before the deadline and Lee still needed a medical. We arranged a medical in Seoul (because flying to Amsterdam was not possible at that time), Feyenoord really wanted him so they said OK and they appointed a doctor. It was done. It was not a textbook deal!
Sounds quick but difficult!
Yes. The difficulty always comes when other agents come forward and say they are representing the player.
Is it common to have multiple agents?
It is not just limited to Korea. It happens all over the world –in South America, in England even. You probably hear stories of players signing two or three contracts because they are represented by different agents.
Why do players do this?
The younger players are easily influenced by dubious agents. They say ‘I can get you this and this at a great club, just sign here.’ And they sign. The next day another agent comes and he has an even better offer and they sign.
Will Lee Chun-soo be a success?
I know he can be. He needs to look at the communication. He needs to be able to communicate with his coach and his team. I understand that will not be a problem. He will be helped in the Netherlands with anything he needs.
He will be the biggest Korean success in the Netherlands and after that I can help him move to the EPL.
I am happy that he is here and can play here. He is a very good player.
How about Park Chu-young?
For Park Chu-young there was and still is interest in Europe. Problem was that he was not a very physical player. But seeing him now after recovery from his injury I don't think that will be regarded as any issue anymore. He is more bulky looking at the moment so physical play should not be a problem.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
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Friday, September 14, 2007
Ahn In Hot Water For Losing Cool
Ahn Jung-hwan was labelled “Asia’s Beckham” after the 2002 World Cup, a handsome star who made global headlines for dumping Italy out of the competition. Five years later, he almost became the Asian version of one of Beckham’s former Manchester United team-mates,Eric Cantona.
Cantona famously jump-kicked a fan in the chest in 1995 before raining punches on the shocked leather-jacketed spectator. The Frenchman always had a feisty side and lost his cool in the heat of a vital Premier League game. Few suspected that the normally placid Ahn Jung-hwan would follow, partly, in his footsteps.
It all happened on a quiet Monday afternoon in the practice ground next to Seoul World Cup Stadium. The game wasn’t even a K-League match, just a reserve game between FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The two clubs may be rivals but reserve games are usually gentle affairs, designed to give young players experience, recovering players match time and out-of-form stars, like Ahn, a chance to rediscover their sharpness away from the spotlight.
A hero of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups for his country, it is well-known that the 31 year-old’s club career has failed to hit the same heights. Short stints with mediocre European teams in 2005 and 2006 ended when relegated German team MSV Duisberg declined the chance to extend Ahn’s contract and the player was without a club for four months. Returning reluctantly to Korea at the start of 2007, he joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings but despite a promising start and a hat-trick in the Hauzen Cup, the striker has struggled and has been reduced to occasional substitute cameos.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way for one of Asia’s best-known stars and that is what some of the shouts alluded to in Seoul last week. Perhaps a single shrilly-shouted comment cuts to the bone more effectively that the dull roar of thousands of voices. After 33 minutes of the game, Ahn could take no more jibes about how far he had fallen and when he was going to use his famous wedding-ring kissing celebration and abruptly left the pitch and entered the seating area.
“Why are you saying these things,” he bellowed at the supposed source of the jibes before being frogmarched away by security and shown a red card by the referee.
“It is people like you that stop the K-League developing,” he managed to shout before he disappeared.”
Quite why shouting at Ahn Jung-hwan damages the K-League we will never know but it is easy to sympathize with the player. Video footage of the incident didn’t make for pleasant viewing for those who remember 2002 but leaving the pitch in such a way is a big no-no. The Korean media suggested that the best way to deal with such idiots is to be like Ronaldinho -smile and score. Ahn had already scored but there were few smiles on display.
“Even in Europe where Racism can be serious, I have never experienced that,” said Ahn the next day. Two days later he was hauled before the K-League disciplinary committee and fined 10,000,000 Korean Won (around $10,000) but no ban, apart from the one he will serve for receiving a red card, was issued.
At the hearing Ahn was more contrite but still obviously upset at what happened: “‘I would like to say sorry to the fans for my actions during the game,” he said and added. “Before they became players, players were just normal people. It would be good if Korea’s fan culture could change.”
He may get his wish, Seoul fans apologized for the actions of the few and resolved to stick to ‘clean supporting’, cheering on their own team rather than attacking opponents, though this is hardly rife in the K-League.
One part of Korean culture hasn’t changed and the cyber-hunt for the women responsible for most of the remarks was quickly underway. Before long, her cyworld (similar to myspace) page and cellphone number were found though doubts remain as to whether the mob have their mousehairs trained on the right person.
In the style of Korean players in trouble, as perfected by 2002 and 2006 World Cup team-mate Lee Chun-soo, Ahn has promised a period of deep reflection regarding his behavior. He should also take the time to think about what to do to rescue a career that is in danger of ending with a wasted whimper.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Cantona famously jump-kicked a fan in the chest in 1995 before raining punches on the shocked leather-jacketed spectator. The Frenchman always had a feisty side and lost his cool in the heat of a vital Premier League game. Few suspected that the normally placid Ahn Jung-hwan would follow, partly, in his footsteps.
It all happened on a quiet Monday afternoon in the practice ground next to Seoul World Cup Stadium. The game wasn’t even a K-League match, just a reserve game between FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The two clubs may be rivals but reserve games are usually gentle affairs, designed to give young players experience, recovering players match time and out-of-form stars, like Ahn, a chance to rediscover their sharpness away from the spotlight.
A hero of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups for his country, it is well-known that the 31 year-old’s club career has failed to hit the same heights. Short stints with mediocre European teams in 2005 and 2006 ended when relegated German team MSV Duisberg declined the chance to extend Ahn’s contract and the player was without a club for four months. Returning reluctantly to Korea at the start of 2007, he joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings but despite a promising start and a hat-trick in the Hauzen Cup, the striker has struggled and has been reduced to occasional substitute cameos.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way for one of Asia’s best-known stars and that is what some of the shouts alluded to in Seoul last week. Perhaps a single shrilly-shouted comment cuts to the bone more effectively that the dull roar of thousands of voices. After 33 minutes of the game, Ahn could take no more jibes about how far he had fallen and when he was going to use his famous wedding-ring kissing celebration and abruptly left the pitch and entered the seating area.
“Why are you saying these things,” he bellowed at the supposed source of the jibes before being frogmarched away by security and shown a red card by the referee.
“It is people like you that stop the K-League developing,” he managed to shout before he disappeared.”
Quite why shouting at Ahn Jung-hwan damages the K-League we will never know but it is easy to sympathize with the player. Video footage of the incident didn’t make for pleasant viewing for those who remember 2002 but leaving the pitch in such a way is a big no-no. The Korean media suggested that the best way to deal with such idiots is to be like Ronaldinho -smile and score. Ahn had already scored but there were few smiles on display.
“Even in Europe where Racism can be serious, I have never experienced that,” said Ahn the next day. Two days later he was hauled before the K-League disciplinary committee and fined 10,000,000 Korean Won (around $10,000) but no ban, apart from the one he will serve for receiving a red card, was issued.
At the hearing Ahn was more contrite but still obviously upset at what happened: “‘I would like to say sorry to the fans for my actions during the game,” he said and added. “Before they became players, players were just normal people. It would be good if Korea’s fan culture could change.”
He may get his wish, Seoul fans apologized for the actions of the few and resolved to stick to ‘clean supporting’, cheering on their own team rather than attacking opponents, though this is hardly rife in the K-League.
One part of Korean culture hasn’t changed and the cyber-hunt for the women responsible for most of the remarks was quickly underway. Before long, her cyworld (similar to myspace) page and cellphone number were found though doubts remain as to whether the mob have their mousehairs trained on the right person.
In the style of Korean players in trouble, as perfected by 2002 and 2006 World Cup team-mate Lee Chun-soo, Ahn has promised a period of deep reflection regarding his behavior. He should also take the time to think about what to do to rescue a career that is in danger of ending with a wasted whimper.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Monday, August 13, 2007
Foreign Stars Shine Before Independence Day
With South Korea preparing to celebrate independence from Japan on August 15, it is, perhaps, a little ironic that the K-League relies upon foreign players for a sizeable percentage of its goals.
It has been well-documented that South Korea scored a measly three times in six Asian Cup games last month. Departing coach Pim Verbeek blamed the goal drought partly on the scarcity of Koreans scoring goals domestically.
The Dutchman has a point. The top eight goalscorers in the K League all hail from South American and south-eastern Europe, not from Seoul or Busan. The highest ranked Korean is Daegu’s Lee Kun-ho way down in ninth.
The top five can be seen in the graphic above (put together by Sports Chosun). From left to right they are Cabore (Brazil –Gyeongnam), Stevica Ristic (Macedonia –Jeonbuk), Dejan Damjanovic (Serbia –Incheon), Mota (Brazil –Seongnam) and Denilson (Brazil –Daejeon).
Below is a graph that shows the percentage of total goals scored by overseas players. Own goals are excepted as are any scored by military team Gwangju Sangmu who aren’t allowed any foreign players –though their need is greater than most.
Top Two To Meet
Those wonderful waegookins will be in action on Wednesday night as 14 teams in the K-League do their thing on the pitch.
Since the end of the midsummer break last week, two rounds of games have suggested that spectators up and down the southern half of the Korean peninsula could be treated to a feast of fine football, excitement and perhaps even goals in the coming weeks.
It is unfortunate for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma that the team which finishes top of the standings after 26 games doesn’t automatically win the title, though that fact will bother the other 13 clubs a little less. As the regular season ends, the top six teams will enter the championship play-off series in November.
After the resumption of the league, Seongnam have moved even further ahead at the top of the league and the seven-time title-winners are now nine points clear of Suwon Samsung Bluewings in second.
The two meet at Suwon’s ‘Big Bird’ World Cup Stadium in front of what should be a large and passionate crowd. A win for Suwon will keep faint hopes of replacing Seongnam on the summit alive. A repeat of the 3-1 defeat suffered in the first meeting between the pair in April however, will virtually seal top spot for the yellow machine that has not tasted defeat in the K-League for 22 games.
While the clash of the big boys takes top billing, there is still a good deal of action on offer a little lower down the table as the battle to gain a foothold in the top six increases in intensity.
FC Seoul went ten games without a win in the first stage but has started the second half of the season brightly. A home game against bottom club Gwangju Sangmu tonight provides an excellent opportunity for another victory. Just to the west, Incheon United has also collected four points in the last seven days and three more at home to fellow play-off hopefuls Chunnam Dragons will be welcome.
Asian champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have looked sharp since the break, picking up an impressive 3-2 win at Suwon last Wednesday and will be looking for another victory at Pohang Steelers. The Jeonju outfit traded Yeom Ki-hoon for fellow winger Chung Kyung-ho in the summer and look to have got the best of the deal and not just because Yeom has a broken heel and will likely miss the rest of the season. In the 180 minutes Chung has played since moving to the south-west city, he has already shown the form that made him one of Korea’s brightest prospects two or three years ago.
With Chung wreaking havoc on the wing, the sublime Kim Hyeung-bum returning to fitness after a long-term injury and the energetic Kwon-jib returning to form in midfield, Jeonbuk look well-placed for the play-offs as well as an Asian Champions League quarter-final with Japanese champions Urawa Reds in September.
The rest of the action takes place in the deep south-east. Gyeongnam FC has so far struggled to reproduce its performances of earlier in the season and faces a tough task at home to a resurgent Daejeon Citizen, now coached by old warhorse Kim Ho. The former national team coach saw his new team shock usual contenders Pohang Steelers with a 3-0 victory on Sunday. Elsewhere, third-placed Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I face coachless Busan I’Park and Daegu FC take on Jeju United.
Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile
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Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Egli Stakes Claim For Korean Job
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
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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
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