Korea women's football team to play 2 friendly matches with US in Oct.

The South Korea women's national football team will play friendly matches against the United States in October, the sport's national governing body said Thursday.The Korea Football Association confirmed it reached an agreement with its American counterpart to have two friendly matches in the US The two sides will first meet at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Oct. 20 (Korean time), and will square off again three days later at Sahlen's Stadium in Cary, North Carolina. The South Korean w

Aug. 17, 2017

Korea women's football coach signs 2-year contract extension

South Korea women's football coach Yoon Duk-yeo has signed an extension that will keep him at the helm for two more years, officials here said Thursday.Yoon, 56, signed a new two-year contract with the Korea Football Association that will see him lead the women's national football team through the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, should South Korea qualify for the tournament."I want to thank the KFA and my players for giving me an opportunity to lead the national team for two more years," he said. "

Aug. 17, 2017

Natl. football team to have World Cup qualifying tune-up vs. pro club

The South Korean men's national football team will face a local professional club later this month to fine-tune its preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, an official with the Korea Football Association (KFA) said Thursday.South Korea will test their readiness for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers with a friendly against Suwon Samsung Bluewings at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul, on Aug. 26, according to the official. Suwon are currently third in th

Aug. 17, 2017

Top sports body opposes football association's plan to amend articles

South Korea's top sports body on Wednesday said it opposes the national football association's plan to amend articles related to the former's authority.The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said it will not accept the Korea Football Association's decision to delete articles that will affect the relationship between the two organizations. The KFA is a member of the KSOC, which manages national sports federations and their athletes. The KFA made the decision at its senior members' assembly on Aug.

Aug. 16, 2017

Korean pro football's leading scorer to be sidelined for 2 months with injury

South Korean football club Suwon Samsung Bluewings' Brazilian striker Johnathan Aparecido da Silva is expected to be sidelined for at least two months due to an ankle injury, a club official said Wednesday.The official said Johnathan, currently the leading scorer in the top-flight K League Classic with 19 goals, was diagnosed with a fracture in his right ankle from the club's designated hospital, and he requires at least two months of treatment."Johnathan needs to wear a cast for a month and nee

Aug. 16, 2017

Korean attacker eager to overcome Iran in World Cup qualifier

Veteran South Korean attacker Lee Keun-ho said Wednesday he is eager to beat Iran in the upcoming World Cup qualifying match later this month.Lee is one of the 26 players selected by new men's national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan. South Korea will host Iran on Aug. 31 and will take on Uzbekistan five days later on the road.In the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, South Korea are currently

Aug. 16, 2017

Veteran coach hired to lead last-place football club

Veteran football coach Kim Hak-bum was appointed as the new leader of the last-place club in the top South Korean football league Wednesday.Gwangju FC in the K League Classic announced Kim will be their new head coach, though they didn't disclose details of the contract. Kim will succeed Nam Ki-il, who offered to resign Monday in the midst of the club's poor season.Gwangju are dead last in the 12-team league with 19 points, four back of Incheon United, with four wins, 14 losses and seven draws.

Aug. 16, 2017

Natl. football coach seeks more cohesion on defense

South Korea must improve cohesion on their defense if they were to qualify for their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup, their head coach said Monday.Shin Tae-yong announced the 26-man roster for the two remaining Asian qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.South Korea will host Iran in Seoul on Aug. 31 and travel to Tashkent to face Uzbekistan on Sept. 5.And given South Korea's showing so far, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out South Korea's defense needs some fin

Aug. 14, 2017

Natl. football coach says veterans can make contributions on, off the field

South Korea men's football head coach Shin Tae-yong on Monday justified his selection of a few aging players for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, saying they're not just token veterans getting free rides.Shin unveiled his 26-man roster for the final two Asian World Cup qualifying matches. South Korea will host Iran on Aug. 31 in Seoul and will face Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Sept. 5.South Korea's streak of eight consecutive World Cup appearances will be at stake in those two contests, as they are b

Aug. 14, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min tapped to provide offensive oomph in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea will pin their World Cup qualifying hopes on an English Premier League star who just returned from a serious arm injury.Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min was among 26 players named to the men's national team on Monday for the two remaining qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. South Korea will host Iran in Seoul on Aug. 31 and travel to Tashkent to face Uzbekistan on Sept. 5.These will be the first official matches for head coach Shin Tae-yong, who replaced Uli St

Aug. 14, 2017

After Premier League opener, Spurs' Son Heung-min likely to suit up in World Cup qualifiers

South Korean winger Son Heung-min has made his Premier League season debut with Tottenham Hotspur after recovering from an arm fracture, much to the relief of the national team brass ahead of key World Cup qualifiers.Son came off the bench to replace Moussa Sissoko in the second half of the away match against Newcastle United on Sunday. Son didn't score in the Spurs' 2-0 victory, while playing with a compression bandage on his right arm.Son fractured the right forearm in a fall during a World Cu

Aug. 14, 2017

Coach for struggling football club resigns

The head coach of the struggling football club Gangwon FC resigned from his post Monday.Choi Yun-kyum made the decision following Gangwon's 2-0 loss to Jeju United in the top-flight K League Classic on Sunday, the club said.Gangwon FC have lost four of their last five matches, slipping from third to sixth in the 12-team league.With 37 points on 10 wins, nine losses and seven draws with 12 matches remaining, Gangwon FC are nine points back of Suwon Samsung Bluewings in third place, the last quali

Aug. 14, 2017

Jeju Island to host U-16 intl. football tournament

An international football tournament for players aged under 16 will kick off this weekend on South Korea's Jeju Island with 16 teams, officials said Friday.The 2017 Jeju International Youth Football Tournament will start Saturday and will be staged at four football stadiums in Seogwipo, featuring European clubs like Galatasaray, Newcastle United, Schalke04 and Sporting CP. Three Japanese clubs -- Kashima Antlers, Yokohama Marinos, and Cerezo Osaka -- and Chinese outfit Yanbian Fude will also joi

Aug. 11, 2017

K League's Suwon mulling extension for head coach

K League Classic football club Suwon Samsung Bluewings said Thursday they're mulling a contract extension for head coach Seo Jung-won, with the team poised for a strong finish after a sluggish start to the season.A senior official with Suwon said the club is considering offering Seo a second extension and will discuss the matter with the parent company, Cheil Worldwide.Seo, 46, has been at Suwon's helm since December 2012. He started out with a three-year contract and signed a three-year extensi

Aug. 11, 2017

Korean footballers in Europe gear up for new season

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min will once again try to lead the way for South Korean footballers in Europe as they gear up for the new season.Son will try to outdo himself in the 2017-2018 season after enjoying his most successful English Premier League stint since he signed with the Spurs in 2015. In the EPL, he bagged 14 goals, 13th best in the league, in addition to six assists. Overall, he netted 21 goals in all competitions during the 2016-2017 season to set a new single-season scoring re

Aug. 10, 2017

Korea football coach to call up injured Ki Sung-yueng, Son Heung-min for World Cup qualifiers

SUWON -- South Korea men's national football head coach Shin Tae-yong said Wednesday he will call up Ki Sung-yueng and Son Heung-min for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers despite their injuries.Shin, who took over the team last month after Uli Stielike's ouster, will announce his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan next Monday. In the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, South Korea are currently in second place in Group A with 13 points, sitting j

Aug. 10, 2017

Korean U-20 midfielder to join Austrian club

South Korean football club Pohang Steelers said Wednesday their youth academy product Lee Jin-hyun will join an Austrian club.Pohang, currently seventh in the top-flight K League Classic, said Lee will sign a contract with FK Austria Wien. The 19-year-old will depart for Austria on Thursday for a medical, the club added.Lee was pre-drafted by Pohang last year, but went to Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul under the club's consent. Pohang said they reached an agreement with Austria Wien over an ow

Aug. 10, 2017

Natl. football coach closes in on completing roster for World Cup qualifiers

New South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Wednesday that roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers is about 70 to 80 percent complete, and he may select up to 26 players to prepare for the crucial matches.Shin, who took over the men's senior squad last month, will announce his first national team roster on Aug. 14 for the World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan. He will start training with the players one week later."My roster is about 70 to 80 percent complete," Shin told re

Aug. 3, 2017

Veteran striker closes in on milestone in pro football's 2nd half

Veteran football striker Lee Dong-gook is closing in on yet another milestone as the second half of the season is about to begin.Lee, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward, is sitting at 196 goals for his K League Classic career. The 38-year-old is already the league's all-time scoring leader, and he is four away from 200 with 15 matches remaining. The season resumes Wednesday after an All-Star break.In the first half, Lee made 16 appearances -- five in starts and 11 off the bench -- and scored four ti

Aug. 2, 2017