The Korea Herald

Korea looks to solve Iran

TEHRAN (Yonhap) ― South Korea will try to end its winless streak versus Iran when the two rivals clash in a friendly match in Tehran on Tuesday.The kickoff will be 4:25 p.m. Tuesday at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital, or 9:55 p.m. in Seoul.It will be the last match of 2014 for South Korea, coached by ex-German international Uli Stielike. South Korea defeated Jordan 1-0 in Amman on Friday to begin its two-match Middle East road trip.South Korea is ranked 66th in the world, fourth-highest amo

Nov. 16, 2014

Rooney finds net in 100th match for England

Wayne Rooney celebrated his 100th appearance for England by scoring in a 3-1 win over Slovenia, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a goal in his return for Sweden in a 1-1 draw at Montenegro in European Championship qualifiers Saturday.Along with England’s fourth win in as many games, San Marino ended its streak of 61 losses by tying 0-0 against Estonia in Group E.Defending champion Spain won 3-0 at home over Belarus, but Slovakia remained atop Group C with a 2-0 victory at Macedonia.Austria strengthene

Nov. 16, 2014

Rooney finds net in 100th match for England

FIFA under fire after report on Qatar, Russia

FIFA President Joseph Blatter speaks during a ceremony held at the Saudi Football Federation on the night of the 22nd Gulf Cup football tournament in Riyadh on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)GENEVA (AP) ― A long-awaited day of judgment on World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar turned into another day of FIFA disarray. Nearly four years after FIFA chose Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the football body’s ethics judge exonerated the two countries of any corruption in their winning bids and

Nov. 14, 2014

FIFA under fire after report on Qatar, Russia

S. Korea to be without two key attackers in football friendly vs. Jordan

South Korea is expected to be missing two key attackers when it faces Jordan in the first of its two football friendlies in the Middle East on Friday. After Bayer Leverkusen winger Son Heung-min was ruled out with right quadriceps fatigue, El Jaish forward Lee Keun-ho joined him in the infirmary with back spasms Thursday. Lee sat out the team's final practice at King Abdullah Stadium in the Jordan capital, the venue of the two countries' contest set to kickoff at 4:30 p.m. Friday, local time

Nov. 14, 2014

Park hopeful of Korean chances in Asian Cup

Park Ji-sung. (Yonhap)Park Ji-sung, former captain of the South Korean men’s football team, on Thursday expressed hopes that the national team will deliver the goods at an upcoming continental tournament, saying the country has enough talent to end its long title drought.Park was visiting Seoul as a new ambassador for Manchester United, the English Premier League club for which he played from 2005 to 2012. He retired from football in May and last played a match for South Korea in 2011.His final

Nov. 13, 2014

Park hopeful of Korean chances in Asian Cup

Korea to kick off Middle East trip with friendly against Jordan

AMMAN (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s national football team will seek to end its final road trip of the year on a winning note, when it faces Jordan in Amman on Friday.The kickoff will be 4:30 p.m. local time, or 11:30 p.m. Korean time, at King Abdulla Stadium in Jordan’s capital.South Korea is ranked 66th in the world, eight spots above Jordan, and holds an edge in all-time meetings with two wins and two draws.After Jordan, South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike sin

Nov. 13, 2014

Korea to kick off Middle East trip with friendly against Jordan

Retired football icon Park Ji-sung to help Manchester United

Park Ji-sung, the recently retired football star from South Korea, said Thursday he is looking forward to taking on new responsibilities as an ambassador for his former English club, Manchester United, as they look to expand their presence in Asia.Park, who was appointed the English Premier League club's sixth ambassador last month, made his first appearance in South Korea in that capacity Thursday. At a media conference in Seoul, Park said it was "an honor" to begin his official duties as the c

Nov. 13, 2014

S. Korea to kick off Middle East trip with friendly vs. Jordan

The South Korean men's national football team will seek to end its final road trip of the year on a winning note, when it faces Jordan in Amman on Friday.The kickoff will be 4:30 p.m. local time, or 11:30 p.m. Korean time, at King Abdulla Stadium in Jordan's capital.South Korea is ranked 66th in the world, eight spots above Jordan, and holds an edge in all-time meetings with two wins and two draws.After Jordan, South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike since last month, wi

Nov. 13, 2014

Options running out for African Cup

The African Cup of Nations tournament is scheduled to start in two months, but nobody wants to host it.Organizer the Confederation of African Football is running out of time and is without a host country because of the threat of Ebola. CAF has refused to re-schedule.Initial host Morocco stood firm this weekend in its decision not to host the 16-team event early next year and still wants it postponed until 2016 because of the outbreak of the deadly virus in West Africa.CAF will meet Tuesday to ma

Nov. 11, 2014

Men’s soccer team heads to Middle East for friendlies

The South Korean men’s national soccer team departed for the Middle East for upcoming friendly matches against Jordan and Iran.These two matches will be the final friendlies of the year for South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike.They are also the country’s last scheduled matches before the AFC Asian Cup tournament in January.South Korea will visit Amman to play Jordan on Friday and will be in Tehran to take on Iran next Tuesday.Stielike has put together a 22-man roster

Nov. 10, 2014

Men’s soccer team heads to Middle East for friendlies

Win some, lose some

Swansea’s Ki Sung-yueng (right) and Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck vie for the ball on Sunday. (EPA-Yonhap)LONDON (AP) ― Arsenal was left to rue its defensive vulnerabilities for the second time in a week after again failing to defend a lead in a 2-1 loss at Swansea on Sunday.The defeat followed a 3-3 draw at home to Anderlecht in the Champions League on Tuesday, which Arsenal had led 3-0.Title-holders Juventus had no such problems, following a 7-0 rout of Parma to strengthen its lead at the top of Ser

Nov. 10, 2014

Chelsea, Bayern keep up title charge

LONDON (AP) ― Just three months into the season, it is hard to see how Chelsea can be stopped in its remorseless charge to the English Premier League title.For many, the biggest question now is whether it can go through the season unbeaten.Chelsea got past another major obstacle on its way to the league title by winning 2-1 at Liverpool on Saturday and running its record to nine wins and two draws. Defending champion Manchester City, probably Chelsea’s biggest rival, is eight points behind in th

Nov. 9, 2014

Another day at the office

Lionel Messi scored twice to tie Raul Gonzalez’s career record of 71 Champions League goals, and Barcelona won 2-0 at Ajax on Wednesday night to advance to the tournament’s knockout stage for the 11th straight year.The 27-year-old scored with a header in the 36th minute and doubled the lead in the 76th after exchanging passes with Pedro Rodriguez. Messi moved one goal in front of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.Messi has played 90 Champions League matches, 52 fewer than Raul.“Messi is absolutely

Nov. 6, 2014

Son doubles down

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) ― Son Heung-min scored twice to give Bayer Leverkusen a 2-1 win at Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, putting the German team on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages.The South Korean striker opened the scoring in the 68th minute with a fierce shot from outside the box after a well-worked team free-kick routine.Son struck again five minutes later, finishing calmly after a through ball from Stefan Kiessling. Leverkusen’s Son Heung-min ce

Nov. 5, 2014

FIFA weighs winter World Cup in Qatar

GENEVA (AP) ― FIFA is targeting two options for holding the 2022 World Cup in the winter in Qatar, and organizers think that is “ideal” for the Middle East.After a meeting Monday about five proposals on when to play the tournament, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke quickly moved to slim down the field.“We are getting closer to narrowing the dates for the FIFA World Cup to two options ― January-February 2022 or November-December 2022,” Valcke said in a FIFA statement.Qatar’s organizing committ

Nov. 4, 2014

United loses 1-0 in derby

LONDON (AP) ― A summer spending spree of $250 million on new players was supposed to restore the dwindling fortunes of Manchester United.If anything, it may be getting worse at Old Trafford.United is off to its worst 10-game start to an English league season since 1986 after losing 1-0 at rival Manchester City on Sunday, leaving the 20-time champions in ninth place with just half the points of unbeaten Premier League leader Chelsea.In the Spanish league, the logjam at the top remains after Valen

Nov. 3, 2014

Korea recalls striker Park for friendlies

Korea head coach Uli Stielike speaks during a press conference on Monday. (Yonhap)South Korea coach Uli Stielike recalled former Arsenal striker Park Chu-young to the national team for friendlies this month against Jordan and Iran.Park, released by Arsenal in May and without a club until he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab in September, has not featured for his country since a disappointing 2014 World Cup when the Asian giant collected a solitary point.South Korea is preparing for January’s Asian

Nov. 3, 2014

Korea recalls striker Park for friendlies

Madrid climbs above Barcelona

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 17th league goal of the season and 22nd in all competitions to help Real Madrid take the Spanish league lead Saturday after Celta Vigo won at Barcelona’s home field for the first time in 72 years. Other top European teams avoided upsets, with Bayern Munich and Chelsea both needing late penalty kicks for 2-1 home victories.Juventus took advantage of Roma’s loss to open a three-point lead in the Serie A, while Paris Saint-Germain pulled within a point of leader Marseil

Nov. 2, 2014

Korea, France bid for 2019 women’s World Cup

ZURICH (AP) ― Football delegates from France and South Korea have handed over their bid documents to FIFA for the 2019 women’s World Cup. France and South Korea are also bidding for the 2018 under-20 women’s World Cup, with FIFA’s executive committee to decide on one winner for both competitions in March. FIFA’s Sepp Blatter says, “I’m a very happy president to see these two big football nations competing for these two women’s competitions.” Blatter noted how both nations recently hosted the men

Oct. 31, 2014

Celtic player Tonev banned for 7 games for racial abuse

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) ― Celtic winger Aleksandar Tonev was banned for seven games on Thursday for using racist language toward an opponent during a Scottish league match. Celtic said Tonev will appeal against the ban. The Bulgarian international, who is on loan at Celtic from English Premier League side Aston Villa, was found guilty by the Scottish Football Association of “excessive misconduct by the use of offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature” when he appeared in front

Oct. 31, 2014