FC Seoul's Choi Yong-soo named Asian football coach of 2013

FC Seoul head coach Choi Yong-soo in the top South Korean league has been named the top coach of 2013 in Asia.The K League Classic bench boss earned the Coach of the Year award at the annual Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, late Tuesday. He became the sixth South Korean coach to win the honor since the award was first presented in 1994, and the second straight after Kim Ho-gon of another K League Classic club, Ulsan Hyundai.This year, Choi's FC Seoul

Nov. 27, 2013

Hiddink to get surgery from Korean team doctor

Guus Hiddink, a Dutch soccer manager who led the South Korean squad to the 2002 World Cup finals, is set to receive knee surgery from a national team doctor here.  “Hiddink will visit Korea early next year and receive surgery on his right knee for arthritis,” said Song Joon-seop, head doctor of the Korean soccer team. Hiddink previously underwent an operation on his right knee in 2001, when he was the head coach of the Korean team.When he flew in to Seoul to cheer for the Korean team during a w

Nov. 26, 2013

Kim Bo-kyung curbs United surge

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Free-scoring Manchester City moved into the Premier League’s top four by embarrassing Tottenham 6-0, but Manchester United’s revival was halted by a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Cardiff on Sunday.Spurs arrived at Etihad Stadium with the league’s best defensive record but left having tied a record for its worst loss in the Premier League era, with Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas both scoring twice for City.“It is impossible to play better than we did today,” said City

Nov. 25, 2013

Arsenal beats Southampton 2-0

LONDON (AP) ― Arsenal extended its Premier League lead to four points with a 2-0 win over Southampton on Saturday while Liverpool was held to a 3-3 draw at Everton.Arsenal bounced back from a defeat to defending champion Manchester United with a dominant display, capped by two goals from Olivier Giroud. The first came after Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc bizarrely lost the ball to the France striker in the box.Substitute Daniel Sturridge salvaged a draw for Liverpool. Chelsea reasserted its

Nov. 24, 2013

Messi receives Golden Boot

BARCELONA (AP) ― Barcelona forward Lionel Messi won a record third Golden Boot on Wednesday for scoring the most goals in Europe’s domestic leagues last season.The 26-year-old Messi helped Barcelona win the 2012-13 Spanish league by scoring 46 goals despite missing several games with a right hamstring injury near the end of the season.Messi also won the award for 34 goals in 2009-10, and a Spanish record 50 in 2011-12.The first player to receive the award three times, Messi dedicated his latest

Nov. 21, 2013

See you in Brazil

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dazzling hat trick to lift Portugal into next year’s World Cup at the expense of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, and France came back in remarkable fashion to overtake Ukraine for a berth in the 32-nation field for next year’s tournament in Brazil.Iceland failed to become the least populous nation to reach soccer’s top tournament, losing to Croatia on a thrilling final night of European qualifying.Greece, Ghana and Algeria also earned berths, and Mexico took a 5-1 lead in

Nov. 20, 2013

Korea shows promise ahead of World Cup

Despite suffering a loss in its final game of 2013 this week, the South Korean men’s national soccer team still showed hope for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.South Korea blew an early lead and lost 2-1 to Russia in Dubai on Tuesday. It foiled South Korea’s bid to close out the year on a three-game winning streak, after the country’s wins over Mali last month and Switzerland last week.Under head coach Hong Myung-bo, who was appointed in June, South Korea won three games, lost four and drew

Nov. 20, 2013

S.Korea falls to Russia in final football friendly of 2013

South Korea blew an early lead and lost to Russia 2-1 in its last football friendly of the year in Dubai on Tuesday.At Zabeel Stadium, Dmitri Tarasov headed in the go-ahead goal in the 58th minute as the 19th-ranked Russians came back from a 1-0 deficit against No. 56 South Korea.South Korea had hoped to end 2013 on a three-game winning streak, following wins over Mali in October and Switzerland last week. The country is trying to schedule two friendly matches in the United States in January to

Nov. 20, 2013

Messi’s injury problems may be his own fault

MADRID (AP) ― Lionel Messi seems to keep getting injured these days, and he could be the one to blame for his troubles.The four-time world player of the year hurt his left hamstring while playing for Barcelona on Nov. 10 and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks, keeping him off the field until after Christmas.“He’s a kid who doesn’t know how to manage himself because he is so passionate for the sport. Someone has to set limits for him,” trainer Fernando Signorini, who has worked closely with

Nov. 19, 2013

Lee Young-pyo calls it a career

South Korean soccer veteran Lee Young-pyo announced his retirement on Thursday, saying he appreciates the great support he enjoyed over 27 years of playing the game.Lee made his first public appearance in South Korea, after playing his final game late last month for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer. At a press conference held at the Korea Football Association headquarters in Seoul, the former left fullback said he feels he owes a major apology to fans.“The biggest problem for So

Nov. 14, 2013