TheFasta CEO says Juventus apologized for Ronaldo no-show, still feels betrayed

The CEO of TheFasta, the local agency in charge of the exhibition match between Juventus and South Korean league All-Stars team, said her Italian counterpart had apologized to the agency about Cristiano Ronaldo’s benching.During an interview with local media outlet Sports Seoul, Robin Jang, TheFasta’s CEO, said she was able to reach Juventus’ project manager on Saturday and received an apology. According to the newspaper’s reporting, Jang quoted the manager as s

July 29, 2019

Juventus accused of breach of contract for benching Ronaldo in Seoul exhibition

Italian football champions Juventus breached an agreement when they benched superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in an exhibition match against South Korean league All-Stars, a local organizer of the match claimed Saturday.Some 63,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium went home disappointed Friday night, as Ronaldo did not play in a 3-3 draw between Juventus and K League All-Stars. TheFasta, the agency responsible for the event with Juventus, released a statement Saturday claiming that it didn't know about

July 28, 2019

[Photo News] Ronaldo arrives in Seoul for match with Korean All-Stars

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo landed at Incheon Airport on Friday afternoon. He will be leading Juventus in an exhibition match against the K League All-Star team, slated to take place at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m.Hundreds of soccer fans waited at the airport to welcome the 34-year-old Portuguese player, who last visited Seoul in July 2007 for an exhibition match with Manchester United. By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)

July 26, 2019

Kane stunner earns Spurs victory over Juventus

SINGAPORE (AFP) -- Harry Kane scored a stunning 93rd minute winner from the halfway line as Tottenham Hotspur edged Juventus 3-2 in an entertaining pre-season friendly in Singapore on Sunday.The England captain latched onto Lucas Moura's short pass and launched a first-time shot high over a scrambling substitute keeper Wojciech Szczesny as Spurs rallied past new manager Maurizio Sarri's Italian champions in front of a delighted National Stadium crowd. "It's probably one of the best goals of

July 22, 2019

S. Korea paired with N. Korea in World Cup qualification

KUALA LUMPUR -- South Korea will face North Korea in the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.In a draw held at the Asian Football Confederation House in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, South Korea and North Korea were paired in Group H, along with Lebanon, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea are the top-ranked team in the group at No. 37, followed by Lebanon (86th), North Korea (122nd), Turkmenistan (135th) and Sri Lanka (201st).The second round will go on

July 17, 2019

[Trending] Teen soccer star Lee Kang-in entangled in ‘love-stagram’ incident

Korean soccer star Lee Kang-in, 18, might have embarked on a new relationship, considering subtle moves he has made on Instagram in recent days. The guesswork has prompted some fans to call for an explanation from Lee. In an online community here, speculations surfaced that Lee could be dating a woman who is two years older than the teen prospect. The only purported evidence so far is that Lee’s official Instagram account started following a private account, believed to belong to the myste

July 17, 2019

Gyeongnam FC terminate contract with ex-Premier Leaguer Mutch

South Korean football club Gyeongnam FC have cut ties with former Premier Leaguer Jordon Mutch.The K League 1 team said Sunday that they have terminated their one-year deal with the 27-year-old English midfielder, citing Mutch's failure to make an adequate transition on and off the field.Mutch, who previously played for Birmingham City, Cardiff City, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, signed with Gyeongnam in February. But he only played eight matches and netted one go

July 7, 2019

Cristiano Ronaldo to visit S. Korea in July for exhibition match

Global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Juventus in a summer exhibition match in Seoul.The K League, which governs professional football in South Korea, announced Wednesday its All-Star team will host the Italian Serie A champions at 8 p.m. on July 26 at Seoul World Cup Stadium.Ronaldo last visited South Korea in July 2007 for an exhibition match with Manchester United. Ronaldo scored one goal and set up two others to led Man United over FC Seoul 4-0 then. The 34-year-old Portuguese sta

June 19, 2019

Pro football enjoys significant jump in attendance

South Korean football is at a fever pitch.The K League 1, the country‘s top pro football circuit, has enjoyed a 53.1 percent increase in average attendance compared to a year ago, data showed Tuesday.The K League said that through the first 16 matches this season, the 12 clubs have averaged 8,408 fans per game, compared to 5,492 fans per match after the same number of matches a year ago.Daegu FC have been the driving force. They have drawn 10,397 fans per match at DGB Daegu Bank Park, up f

June 18, 2019

Runner-up S. Korea feted before fans in Seoul

Players and coaches of the South Korean men's under-20 football team were feted in front of fans in the nation's capital Monday for their unexpected run to second place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.Coached by Chung Jung-yong, South Korea reached the championship final of the biennial youth tournament for the first time. They lost to Ukraine 3-1 on Saturday, but they were still greeted warmly by hundreds of fans at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, earlier Monday. Later in the

June 17, 2019

S. Korean players receive heroes' welcome

INCHEON -- South Korean players and coaches got a rousing welcome home Monday after their runner-up finish at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland over the weekend.Coached by Chung Jung-yong, the young Taeguk Warriors recorded the country's best finish at any FIFA men's tournament. No South Korean men's team had reached the final at any FIFA competition before last Saturday, when Chung's squad lost to Ukraine 3-1 in the championship match at Lodz Stadium in Lodz.Despite the crushing loss, the playe

June 17, 2019

Moon says he's proud of S. Korea's U-20 World Cup team

President Moon Jae-in said Sunday he is proud of South Korea's under-20 World Cup team after they finished in second place with a loss to Ukraine in the final."I am proud of our players who greatly enjoyed themselves," Moon said in a Twitter message posted on his way home from a three-nation Nordic trip, after South Korea lost 3-1 to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Poland on Saturday.  "The night in South Korea was just as bright as a white night in Stockholm. I also

June 16, 2019

S. Korean star has 'no regrets' after losing in final to Ukraine

South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in isn't one to have regrets over a loss, even if it comes in the championship final of the biggest tournament of his burgeoning career.South Korea lost to Ukraine 3-1 in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz, Poland, on Saturday, unable to hold on after Lee's successful penalty gave them a 1-0 lead after just five minutes.Ukraine pushed back with three consecutive goals for their first title. But Lee, who ended the tournament with two goals and f

June 16, 2019

S. Korea says players should feel proud of runner-up finish

South Korea may not have captured the champion's trophy at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday, but their coach Chung Jung-yong said the players should still be proud of coming this far.South Korea lost to Ukraine 3-1 in the final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz, blowing an early 1-0 lead to come up one win shy of their first championship at the biennial youth tournament.A win would also have given South Korea their first title at a FIFA men's tournament, but Ukraine had other ideas, as they b

June 16, 2019

S. Koreans take to streets to cheer for U-20 World Cup final

Tens of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets nationwide for the nation's under-20 football team Sunday, expressing support for the young players who came up short in their first-ever World Cup championship in the final with Ukraine.South Korea lost 3-1 to Ukraine, finishing in second place in the U-20 World Cup. It was the country's best-ever performance at a men's FIFA event. Seoul and major cities organized street cheering events to help fire up football fans, as the championship mat

June 16, 2019

Runners-up S. Korea thrive under unheralded coach

Though South Korea fell one win shy of winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday, they still beat the odds to even reach the final, thanks in no small part to the leadership of an unheralded coach who demonstrated impressive tactical acumen on the field and developed strong connections with players off the field.Chung Jung-yong, 50, coached South Korea to their best performance at the biennial youth tournament. They took second place after losing to Ukraine 3-1 at Lodz Stadium in Lod

June 16, 2019

S. Korea's Lee Kang-in wins Golden Ball as tournament MVP

South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-win earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday.The 18-year-old playmaker helped lead South Korea to the runner-up finish, the country's best showing ever at the biennial tournament. Lee scored South Korea's lone goal in their 3-1 loss to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz earlier in the day.Lee, who plies his trade with Valencia CF in Spain, had two goals and four assists in seven matches during the countr

June 16, 2019

S. Korea finish 2nd after loss to Ukraine

It was close but no cigar.South Korea finished in second place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup following a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Lodz on Saturday.Lee Kang-in converted a penalty in the fifth minute to give South Korea an early lead, but Ukraine scored three unanswered goals for their first title. Vladyslav Supriaha scored twice and Heorhii Tsitaishvili scored a late dagger for the champions.South Korea fell one victory shy of winning their first title at the biennia

June 16, 2019

S. Korea fall to Nigeria for 2nd straight loss

South Korea dropped to Nigeria 2-0 for their second straight loss at the FIFA Women's World Cup in France on Wednesday, as their knockout hopes faded further.South Korean defender Kim Do-yeon had an own goal just before the half-hour mark at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble, and the Taeguk Ladies face an uphill climb to reach the round of 16 for the second straight tournament. Asisat Oshoala had the other goal for Nigeria in the second half. South Korea, which lost to France 4-0 in the opener last Fr

June 13, 2019

Top Asian football official hails S. Korea historic run to final

Asia's top football official on Wednesday praised South Korea for reaching the final at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, saying the country's run demonstrates the growth of the sport on the continent.South Korea defeated Ecuador 1-0 on Tuesday in Lublin, Poland, to set up the championship match against Ukraine. It will be South Korea's first appearance in the final of any FIFA men's tournament. "Their achievements so far have been remarkable, and I hope they carry on this form and go on t

June 12, 2019