Korean captain says players are motivated to beat Lebanon in World Cup qualifier

South Korean national football team captain Ki Sung-yueng said Wednesday that the players are fully motivated to deliver a victory against Lebanon at the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea, 57th in the FIFA rankings, face No. 145-ranked Lebanon at 8 p.m. Thursday at Ansan Wa Stadium in Ansan, south of Seoul, for their Group G match of the Asian qualification. The Taeguk Warriors have already clinched the top seed in their group with six straight wins, and are t

March 23, 2016

Young footballers enter survival mode ahead of Olympics

South Korea have already qualified for the men's football tournament at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games after finishing second at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in January, but that doesn't mean players can afford to relax.For footballers aged under 23, the competition for roster spots is just heating up, with no one having been guaranteed a spot on the final 18-man roster. For them, the two friendly matches against Algeria this month is a great opportunity to impress h

March 23, 2016

Korea looking to stay perfect in World Cup qualifier vs. Lebanon

South Korea will aim to keep their perfect record in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup when they host Lebanon on Thursday.Regardless of the match against Lebanon, which will be played at Ansan Wa Stadium in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea have already clinched the top seed in Group G with six straight wins, and will advance to the final round of the regional qualification.Lebanon, ranked 145th, are currently third in Group G with three wins, one draw and two los

March 22, 2016

Injured defender replaced ahead of World Cup qualifier

South Korean defensive back Oh Jae-suk was replaced on the national team on Friday because of a leg injury.The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the Gamba Osaka defender won't be available in the World Cup qualifying match against Lebanon next Thursday and a friendly against Thailand on March 27 with a left thigh injury.Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defender Kim Chang-soo will take Oh's place on coach Uli Stielike's 23-man roster.Oh was named to the national team for the first time Monday but will

March 18, 2016

Son Heung-min ends two-month goal drought in Tottenham's loss

South Korean forward Son Heung-min ended his two-month goal drought for Tottenham Hotspur on Friday (Korean time), though he couldn't save the English club's elimination at the second-tier European competition.At the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 contest, Son notched a second-half goal against Germany's Borussia Dortmund when Tottenham were trailing 2-0. However, the English Premier League (EPL) club ended up in a 2-1 loss at White Hart Lane in London and failed to reach the q

March 18, 2016

Pohang fall to Sydney at AFC Champions League

The Pohang Steelers picked up their first loss at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Wednesday after falling 1-0 to Australian club Sydney FC at home.At Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, a port city 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the hosts failed to overcome Sydney midfielder Chris Naumoff's goal in the first half and surrendered the top spot in their group to the Australian club. Sydney, the runner-up in the Australian A-League last season, now have two wins and one loss in Group

March 17, 2016

FC Seoul crushes Shandong to stay undefeated in AFC Champions League

Brazilian striker Carlos Adriano's double led FC Seoul to beat China's Shandong Luneng 4-1 Wednesday as the South Korean club stays undefeated in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League. At Jinan Olympic Sports Centre in Jinan, China, Seoul collected their third straight victory at the AFC Champions League, thanks to a double from their Brazilian striker Adriano. The victory secures Seoul's top rank in Group F.Seoul, the reigning champion of the Korean Football Association Cup, have be

March 17, 2016

FIFA admits to World Cup hosting bribes, asks US for cash

GENEVA (AP) -- While acknowledging for the first time that votes were bought in past World Cup hosting contests, FIFA is seeking to claim ``tens of millions of dollars'' in bribe money seized by U.S. federal prosecutors.FIFA submitted a 22-page claim to the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York on Tuesday that seeks a big share in restitution from more than $190 million already forfeited by soccer and marketing officials who pleaded guilty in the sprawling corruption case.Tens of millions of dollar

March 16, 2016

Pohang falls to Sydney at AFC Champions League

SEOUL/POHANG (Yonhap) -- The Pohang Steelers picked up their first loss at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Wednesday after falling 1-0 to Australian club Sydney FC at home.At Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, a port city 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the hosts failed to overcome Sydney midfielder Chris Naumoff's goal in the first half and surrendered the top spot in their group to the Australian club. Sydney, the runner-up in the Australian A-League last season, now have two wi

March 16, 2016

Stielike to help both Olympic football team, young star

By excluding one of South Korea's biggest football stars from his roster announced Monday, senior men's national team head coach Uli Stielike actually wants to help the country's football on a much deeper level.For South Korea's squad for the second round Asian qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Lebanon on March 24 and a friendly match in Thailand on March 27, there was a small surprise:Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min was missing. It turns out Stielike's intention was to help

March 14, 2016

Tottenham attacker Son Heung-min off men's national team for March matches

Struggling Tottenham Hotspurs winger Son Heung-min has been left off the South Korean men's national football team for two matches scheduled this month.Son was conspicuous by his absence on the 23-man roster announced Monday by head coach Uli Stielike. On March 24, South Korea will host Lebanon in Group G action in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea have already clinched the top seed in the group and will advance to the next and final round of the regional

March 14, 2016

Newly promoted Suwon FC pick up point in first division debut

Newly promoted football club Suwon FC picked up a point in their first division debut on Sunday.Suwon FC visited the Jeonnam Dragons for their first K League Classic match and came away with a 0-0 draw at Gwangyang Football Stadium in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province.Suwon FC earned a promotion from the second-tier K League Challenge. Though they've lost some key players over the offseason, Suwon held their ground against Jeonnam on the road.Jeonnam were in control early with a trio of imported

March 13, 2016

World Cup qualifier vs. Kuwait postponed due to sanctions

South Korea's World Cup qualifying match against suspended Kuwait has been postponed, officials said Friday.An official at the Korea Football Association said FIFA has yet to lift its sanctions on Kuwait, punished last October after failing to amend the country's sports law to prevent government interference in the national football body. The two countries were scheduled to meet on March 29 in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in their final match of the second Asian qualifying round for

March 11, 2016

Star forwards spice up new football season

Familiar foreign strikers and local heavyweights are to battle for the top scoring title in South Korea's first division football league this season, but their closest rivals could lie within their club.Twelve teams in the K League Classic start their nine-month journey this weekend with two-time defending champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors again the top dogs, while reigning Korean Football Association Cup winner FC Seoul are considered the top challenger to dethrone Jeonbuk. Fans are also likely t

March 11, 2016

Former 2002 World Cup star to be national team goalkeeper coach

Lee Woon-jae, a member of the semifinalist South Korean team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, will join the country's senior national squad as a goalkeeper coach, the national football governing body said Wednesday.After its technical committee meeting on Tuesday, the Korea Football Association announced that Lee, who is currently a goalkeeper coach for the South Korea men's Olympic football team, will serve the same role for the senior team guided by head coach Uli Stielike. The goalkeeper coaching

March 9, 2016

Emerging striker puts injury behind, ready for fresh start

With the 2016 K League Classic football season looming, Ulsan Hyundai FC forward Lee Jeong-hyeop says a devastating injury is now behind him and he's ready to contribute to his new club.Lee's solid season with Sangju Sangmu FC -- a second-division club of conscripted players -- was abruptly halted last August when he suffered broken cheekbones after jumping into the head of an opponent in a battle for the loose ball. He missed nearly two months of action.Lee completed his military service in Oct

March 8, 2016

Coach of football title favorites prefers spotlight on rivals

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors may be the prohibitive favorite to win their third straight championship in the top South Korean football league, but their head coach Choi Kang-hee said Monday he'd rather see rival clubs get more of the spotlight.After a series of offseason moves that added depth to an already strong squad, Jeonbuk -- now dubbed "Real Jeonbuk" after Spanish giants Real Madrid -- seem poised for their third straight K League Classic title.Yet they're off to a rocky start at another major

March 7, 2016

Korean World Cup qualifier vs. Kuwait in limbo

South Korea may not play their last match of the second Asian qualifying round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup this month following their opponents' international suspension, the local football governing body said Monday. The Korean Football Association said that FIFA, the world's top football body, will give its decision by Thursday about whether or not the World Cup qualification match between South Korea and Kuwait should take place at Daegu World Cup Stadium on March 29 as originally scheduled.FI

March 7, 2016

Familiar faces expected back on top as new pro football season

It is increasingly sounding like a broken record: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will enter the new K League Classic football season as the title favorite.Jeonbuk have won the past two championships in the top-flight South Korean league, and it will likely be much the same story in 2016. If anything, Jeonbuk may have an even better chance to capture the title than the past two years, after making a slew of offseason moves to add depth to an already stacked squad.Their star-studded list of new faces feat

March 7, 2016

Jeonbuk gunning for three-peat after busy winter

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have won South Korea's top-tier football league the last two years, but that clearly didn't satisfy the club. After a busy offseason, Jeonbuk have come back much stronger this time, primed for a three-peat.Over the winter, Jeonbuk signed a slew of local big names for the squad, which some local fans are now even calling "Real Jeonbuk" or "Bayern Jeonbuk," comparing the four-time K League Classic champ to star-studded Spanish giant Real Madrid and German champion Bayern Mun

March 7, 2016