[Newsmaker] After long, bumpy road, S. Korea qualifies for 2018 World Cup

It has been a long and bumpy road, but South Korea on Tuesday realized its dream of making it to their ninth consecutive World Cup finals here.  The men's national soccer team secured a spot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup after clinching the second place in Group A in the final Asian qualifying round with a scoreless draw with Uzbekistan.In the Asian Football Confederation, the top two teams from Group A and B in the final round directly advance to the World Cup, while two third-placed teams need to

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

Korea football coach says last two World Cup qualifiers most difficult moments of his career

TASHKENT -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Wednesday that his past two matches with the national team have been the most difficult moments of his career.South Korea clinched their ninth consecutive World Cup appearance here on Tuesday despite a scoreless draw with Uzbekistan. The result secured South Korea second place in Group A in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They finished the group with 15 points, two points above Syria and Uzbekistan. In Asia,

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

Football federation shoots down Hiddink report, to stick to current head coach

The national football federation on Wednesday rejected a media report that former men's head coach Guus Hiddink could be back at the helm, saying it will stick to the current boss Shin Tae-yong through next year's FIFA World Cup.Citing a source close to Hiddink, a South Korean news channel reported earlier that the Dutchman, who guided South Korea to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, is willing to return to his old job "as long as the Korean people wanted him back."The report came out o

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

Korean swimming stars named honorary ambassadors for 2019 world championships at home

South Korean swimming stars Park Tae-hwan and An Se-hyeon were named honorary ambassadors for the 2019 world championships Wednesday.The organizing committee for the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships, which take place in Gwangju, 350 kilometers south of Seoul, unveiled Park and An as their goodwill ambassadors.Park is the only South Korean swimmer to win an Olympic medal.He captured the 400-meter freestyle gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver in the 200m freestyle. Four years later

More SportsSept. 6, 2017

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin gets no-decision vs. Diamondbacks

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers has picked up a no-decision against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the same club that knocked him around just a week ago.Ryu held the Diamondbacks to just one earned run on three hits in six innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday (local time). He left the game with the score tied at 1-1 and remained at 5-7 for the season.Ryu lowered his ERA from 3.71 to 3.59. In this Associated Press photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch aga

BaseballSept. 6, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min silent again as Korea qualify for World Cup

TASHKENT -- Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min said Tuesday South Korea will come up with a better attack at the FIFA World Cup next year, after the team struggled to muster much offense en route to qualifying for the tournament.Son was part of the national team that clinched a spot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup after earning a scoreless draw with Uzbekistan here. The Taeguk Warriors finished second in Group A with 15 points, two points ahead of Syria and Uzbekistan to win the last automatic qualifi

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

Young forward proves caliber, helps Korea qualify for World Cup

TASHKENT -- Although he failed to score, South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan on Tuesday solidified his reputation as one of the hottest attacking prospects and helped his country to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Hwang, who plays with Austrian side FC Red Bull Salzburg, played full time as the lone striker in South Korea's 4-2-3-1 system in the national team's showdown against Uzbekistan at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent. This was their last match in the final Asian qualifying round for the

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

S. Korea qualify for 9th consecutive FIFA World Cup

South Korea advanced to their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup following a scoreless draw against Uzbekistan in their final qualifying match Tuesday.The teams traded 30 shots without landing one in the back of the net at Bunyodkor Stadium, but South Korea earned to right to compete at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after Iran and Syria ended in a 2-2 draw.South Korea finished in second place in Group A of the final Asian qualifying round with 15 points from four wins, three draws and three losses.

SoccerSept. 6, 2017

Slugger becomes 5th with back-to-back 40-homer seasons

SK Wyverns' third baseman Choi Jeong on Tuesday became the fifth player in South Korean baseball to hit 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons. Choi Jeong of the SK Wyverns launches a three-run home run off the Hanwha Eagles during the clubs` Korea Baseball Organization game at Incheon SK Happy Dream Park in June. (Yonhap)Choi launched his 40th homer of the 2017 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season off Song Seung-jun of the Lotte Giants in the bottom of the first at Incheon SK Happy Dream Park

BaseballSept. 5, 2017

Korea, Uzbekistan football coaches renew rivalry in decisive World Cup qualifier

TASHKENT -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong and his Uzbekistan counterpart Samvel Babayan will go head-to-head for the first time in nearly 20 months as they will renew their rivalry in a decisive World Cup qualifying match here later Tuesday.South Korea and Uzbekistan will play their last qualifying match in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Both teams have a shot at qualifying for the top FIFA competition w

SoccerSept. 5, 2017

Son Heung-min puts Korea ahead of personal glory

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- South Korean winger Son Heung-min said Monday he'll put the national team ahead of personal glory in an upcoming World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan.South Korea will take on Uzbekistan at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent at 8 p.m. Tuesday local time, or midnight Wednesday in Seoul. A win will send South Korea to their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup. But anything less will lead to a much murkier picture, as South Korea's fate will be in the hands of other nations in Grou

SoccerSept. 5, 2017

Korea counting on stars to shine in World Cup qualifier vs. Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- When South Korea take on Uzbekistan for a crucial World Cup qualifying match later Tuesday, they will count on their stars to shine and spark the stagnant attack.The match at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent will kick off at 8 p.m. local time, or midnight Wednesday in Seoul. South Korea will qualify for their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup with a victory.But anything less will complicate the picture, especially with both Uzbekistan and Syria sitting just two points back in

SoccerSept. 5, 2017

LPGA rookie sensation rises to No. 2 in world rankings

South Korean LPGA rookie sensation Park Sung-hyun rose to No. 2 in the latest women's world rankings announced Tuesday.Park moved up a spot to achieve a career high in ranking positions for the second straight week. She'd also gone up one spot to No. 3 the previous week.Park's rise gave South Korea the top two female golfers in the world, with Ryu So-yeon entrenched as the No. 1 for the 10th consecutive week.Park has won twice in her rookie season, most recently at the Canadian Pacific Women's O

GolfSept. 5, 2017

Top-ranked baseball club dealing with nagging bullpen woes

In the Korea Baseball Organization this year, no lead is safe against the Kia Tigers. But on the flip side, no deficit seems too big against them either.Take last Sunday's game, for instance. The Tigers took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth against the Nexen Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Then the Heroes put up seven runs on the board against four Kia relievers to complete the largest ninth-inning comeback victory in the KBO's 35-year history.Kia starter Hector Noesi struck out six

BaseballSept. 4, 2017

Nearly 7 out of 10 Koreans believe natl. football team will qualify for World Cup

Nearly 7 out of 10 South Koreans believe that the national football team will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a survey showed Monday.In the survey conducted by Realmeter on 501 adults nationwide, 66.2 percent of them answered that South Korea will make their ninth consecutive World Cup appearance in Russia next year. Only 21.6 percent said that South Korea will not be represented at the 2018 World Cup.The survey was conducted last Friday, just a day after South Korea had a scoreless draw wi

SoccerSept. 4, 2017

San Francisco Giants designate Hwang Jae-gyun for assignment: report

South Korean third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun has been designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants, a report claimed Friday.The San Francisco Chronicle said the Giants removed Hwang, their Triple-A third baseman at Sacramento, from their 40-man roster to clear a spot for catcher Tim Federowicz. Major league rosters expand from 25 men to 40 on Sept. 1 every year.Hwang must now wait and see if any other team claims him off waivers over the next seven days. If he clears waivers -- meaning, if

BaseballSept. 1, 2017

Korea football coach vows to return home with World Cup ticket

INCHEON -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong on Friday vowed to return home with a World Cup spot as the national team departed for Uzbekistan for its last qualifying match. South Korea could have clinched their ninth consecutive World Cup appearance on Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium if they defeated 10-man Iran, but instead they settled for a scoreless draw. With the latest result, South Korea's World Cup fate will be now determined in Tashkent on Tuesday and they must win to secure

SoccerSept. 1, 2017

Iran football coach asks for Son Heung-min's jersey after World Cup qualifier vs. S. Korea

For the first time in his 36-year football career, Iran's national team boss Carlos Queiroz has done something that he wouldn't normally do: ask for a player's jersey.Queiroz, who has been leading Iran since 2011, said Thursday that he got a jersey of Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min after his side collected a scoreless draw at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. Son played full time and produced a couple of dangerous moments, though he failed to score a goal."For the first

SoccerSept. 1, 2017

Korean football captain says crowd noise disrupted on-field communication

One of the advantages of competing on home soil is having the support of partisan fans in the stands. The biggest of athletes thrive in the most pressure-packed moments, and they are able to feed off the energy of the spectators, rather than wilt under the burden of expectations.South Korean men's football captain Kim Young-gwon, on the other hand, had difficulty playing before a massive crowd Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the World Cup qualifier against Iran. And he had some practical

SoccerSept. 1, 2017

[Newsmaker] Korea face near must-win situation in final World Cup qualifier

Having squandered a chance to qualify for the World Cup at home, South Korea now face a near must-win situation on the road next week.South Korea could have clinched their ninth consecutive World Cup berth with a win over Iran on Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. But they settled for a scoreless draw against the 10-man opponents, and their fate will be determined next Tuesday against Uzbekistan in Tashkent. It'll be the final qualifying match for both nations.In the ongoing final Asian qualif

SoccerSept. 1, 2017