[World Cup] S. Korean captain to miss Germany match with calf injury

South Korea on Sunday confirmed that their captain Ki Sung-yueng will not be able to play in their final group stage match against Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to injury.South Korea are scheduled to face defending champions Germany in their last Group F match at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday. A national team official, however, said Ki, South Korea's midfield control tower, will miss the match with a calf injury. "A medical inspection at a hospital showed that Ki damaged hi

June 25, 2018

[World Cup] S. Korea to express regret over refereeing in match

The Korea Football Association said Sunday it will soon send a letter to FIFA to express its regret over a referee's decisions in South Korea's 2-1 loss to Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. A KFA official claimed that referee Milorad Mazic missed a call before Mexico scored their second goal in their Group F match at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday."Regarding plays related with Mexico's second goal, we watched the video this morning and concluded that there was a foul on Ki S

June 25, 2018

[Trending] ‘Korea hasn’t scored a goal. Son Heung-min has’

Ecstatic screams broke out among Korean World Cup fans Saturday night when Son Heung-min fired a projectile shoot that cut through eight defending players and flew in to the net, moments before the final whistle. 　South Korea lost 2-1 against Mexico, but Son’s stunning shoot and his subsequent sob of regret at losing the match became a trending topic on Twitter the next day.  Mexico had scored two goals and the second half was about to come to a close, when Son dealt a breakthrough shoot, the fi

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] Korean soccer fans ruefully reminisce 2002 glory after 2nd straight loss in World Cup

Twitter in South Korea was inundated on Sunday with soccer fans ruefully commenting on the bygone glory of the 2002 World Cup, when the Korean national squad proudly made it to the semifinals. In this year’s Russia World Cup, Korea has already lost two games – one against Sweden and one against Mexico, with the outcome of its next game against Germany deciding if it will go to the next round.“Who in their right mind blows a vuvuzela at 2 a.m. for a goal? It’s not the 2002,” wrote a Twitter user,

June 24, 2018

[Photo News] Raw display of emotion at World Cup cheer site

Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Saturday night, was painted red with the Red Devils cheering for the midnight match between South Korea and Mexico.With tightly clasped hands held high, fans watched the rollercoaster game.A giant sized Taeguekgi -- the Korean national flag -- created a wave above the crowd. Raw emotions were displayed without reservation.Grieving groans and joyous exclamations intersected between those supporting Team Korea and the Mexican players as Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] S. Korean captain doubtful for next match after leaving loss on crutches

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- South Korea's World Cup hopes may just have been dealt another blow after a 2-1 loss to Mexico on Saturday, with their captain Ki Sung-yueng leaving the match on crutches with a leg injury.Ki, a long-time midfield stalwart who won his 104th cap on Saturday, suffered a left calf injury during the match at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don. He passed through the mixed zone on crutches without speaking to reporters. South Korean midfielder and captain Ki Sung-yueng controls the

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] In tears, Son Heung-min vows to regroup for team's last group match

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Son Heung-min became the first South Korean goal scorer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Saturday with his goal, but he wasn't a happy man in the end.Son showed tears after South Korea's 2-1 loss to Mexico in their second Group F match at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don. The Tottenham Hotspur attacker cut the deficit to one in the second-half stoppage time but couldn't save South Korea from their second straight loss in the tournament."Our players really did well, but it's sa

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] S. Korean defender becoming fans' scapegoat for losses

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- With one mistake after another, South Korean defender Jang Hyun-soo has become a scapegoat for the team's woes at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.Jang, a center back who plays with FC Tokyo, gave up a penalty kick in South Korea's 2-1 loss to Mexico on Saturday in their second Group F match at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after committing a handball foul in the box. The 26-year-old tried to stop Andres Guardado's cross, but unfortunately the ball hit his righ

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] With Germany's win over Sweden, S. Korean knockout stage hopes still alive

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Despite two losses, South Korea still have hopes of reaching the knockout stage at the 2018 FIFA World Cup after Germany beat Sweden in their Group F match on Saturday.South Korea lost 2-1 to Mexico in their second match in Group F at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don earlier in the day. The latest result gave South Korea their second loss in the tournament following their 1-0 defeat to Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday.Even with two straight defeats, South Korea are not m

June 24, 2018

[World Cup] S. Korea fall to Mexico 2-1 for 2nd straight loss

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- South Korea fell to Mexico 2-1 for their second straight loss at the FIFA World Cup in Russia on Saturday, though their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage are still alive thanks to Germany.Son Heung-min's stunner in second-half stoppage time wasn't nearly enough for South Korea at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, about 1,000 kilometers south of Moscow. Carlos Vela scored on a 26th-minute penalty, and Javier Hernandez doubled Mexico's advantage in the 66th, with South

June 24, 2018

[Eye Plus] ‘Red Devils’ spill out to the streets for World Cup

World Cup 2018 kicked off last week in Russia. As for South Korea, the first group match against Sweden on Monday revived the tens of thousands of “Red Devils” to take to the streets to cheer for the national team once again.In front of Gwanghwamun Square in the center of Seoul, 25,000 people wearing the iconic red uniforms and head bands resembling a devil’s horns became the Red Devils, while 5,000 also watched Korea’s first match via large outdoor screens installed at Seoul Square in front of

June 22, 2018

[World Cup] Nat'l football team arrives in Rostov-on-Don for match vs. Mexico

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- South Korea on Thursday arrived in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where they will play their second match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea's 23-man squad will take on Mexico for their second match in Group F at Rostov Arena at 6 p.m. on Saturday (Russian time). They arrived in the city after a two-hour flight from Saint Petersburg.South Korea suffered a 1-0 loss to Sweden in their Group F opener at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday, while Mex

June 22, 2018

Looking for turnaround, Korea to take on Mexico in crucial 2nd match

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korea will try to upset Mexico to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea, ranked 57th in the latest FIFA rankings, and Mexico, world No. 15, will go head-to-head at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday for their second match in Group F, where they are also paired with Sweden and Germany.The teams are in different situations after their first matches, but one thing is for certain: neither So

June 21, 2018

[World Cup] Despite crushing defeat to Sweden, midfielder says S. Korea not giving up

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korean midfielder Koo Ja-cheol said Tuesday the players have yet to give up their hopes for reaching the knockout stage at the 2018 FIFA World Cup despite their painful defeat to Sweden.Koo was a starting midfielder in South Korea's 1-0 loss to Sweden in their Group F opener at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Monday. The FC Augsburg man played 73 minutes and was replaced by Hellas Verona attacker Lee Seung-woo. With defending champions Ger

June 20, 2018

[World Cup] Korean left back to miss rest of tournament with hamstring injury

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed that their left back Park Joo-ho will not be able to play the rest of the team's 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign due to hamstring injury.A national team official said Park went to a hospital in Saint Petersburg and his medical checkup result showed that the 31-year-old will not be available to compete for South Korea's two remaining matches in Group F. "Park's injury wasn't severe as we originally thought as he only had a small damage on

June 20, 2018

[World Cup] Forget stylish attacking moves, this is set-piece World Cup

VOLGOGRAD, Russia -- The possession football championed by coaches like Pep Guardiola is supposed to produce aesthetically-pleasing goals. Against strong defenses and world-class goalkeepers, sometimes you need to go back to basics.This World Cup has started with a spate of goals off of set pieces and penalty kicks, as many teams have struggled to score in the run of play.Inevitably, superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been part of the story, on opposite sides.Ronaldo’s delivered

June 19, 2018

[World Cup] Late header from Kane gives England 2-1 win over Tunisia

VOLGOGRAD, Russia -- Twice wrestled to the ground during the match, England captain Harry Kane finally evaded the Tunisian defense just as time was running out.Kane found an open area of space at the far post and used his head to meet Harry Maguire’s flick-on, scoring the winning goal Monday in a 2-1 victory at the World Cup.It was relief for Kane and Gareth Southgate, who leapt into the air in delight as his World Cup debut as a coach got off to a winning start."The best teams in the world keep

June 19, 2018

[World Cup] Belgium wakes up in 2nd half, rolls past Panama 3-0

SOCHI, Russia -- Unlike the other World Cup favorites that struggled through their opening matches, Belgium looked every part the title contender.Having Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku capable of scoring the way they did against Panama helps."People know I am supposed to score goals," Lukaku said. "The most important thing to me is to win matches."Lukaku scored twice in a six-minute span in the second half after Mertens’ perfectly struck volley gave Belgium the lead, and the Red Devils beat over

June 19, 2018

[World Cup] Korea face rocky road ahead after losing Group F opener to Sweden

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- The importance of winning the first match at the World Cup is rarely lost on players or coaches alike. And South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong went all-in to try to beat Sweden to start this year's tournament in Russia.But South Korea ranked 57th, failed miserably, losing 1-0 to world No. 24 without even putting a shot on target at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. Shin used a 4-3-3 formation, a departure from the 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 settings from tuneup matches immediately preceding t

June 19, 2018