Korea defeats Kuwait 1-0

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― South Korea squeezed past Kuwait 1-0 for its second straight win at the ongoing AFC Asian Cup here on Tuesday, taking a step closer to a berth in the quarterfinals.Nam Tae-hee headed in the first goal in the first half at Canberra Stadium on a rainy day, as South Korea overcame a sloppy defense to keep alive its quest to end a 55-year title drought at the continental tournament.South Korea defeated Oman 1-0 last Saturday, also in Canberra.South Korea can clinch a spot in the

Jan. 13, 2015

Ronaldo wins 3rd FIFA Player of the Year award

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) is congratulated by FIFA president Sepp Blatter after winning the FIFA Player of the Year award. (AP-Yonhap)ZURICH (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo hopes his third FIFA Player of the Year award brought him closer to being remembered as one of soccer’s all-time greats.The Portuguese forward, who led Real Madrid to its record 10th European title, received 37.66 percent of votes of national team coaches and captains and selected media to add to the FIFA awards he won in 2008 and 20

Jan. 13, 2015

New frame of mind

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― As his team prepares to take on a defensive-minded Kuwait at the ongoing Asian Cup, South Korea head coach Uli Stielike said Monday his players will break down the wall with an opportunistic offense.South Korea defeated Oman 1-0 in Group A action last Saturday at Canberra Stadium, thanks to a goal by forward Cho Young-cheol in the dying moments of the first half. Stielike’s team will take on Kuwait at the same stadium on Tuesday. The kickoff is 6 p.m. local time and 4 p.m. in

Jan. 12, 2015

Stielike pleased with winning start

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s football coach Uli Stielike voiced satisfaction Saturday with his team’s 1-0 victory over Oman to open the AFC Asian Cup, saying he preferred a narrow win to a larger victory that would only have raised expectations on his team.Cho Young-cheol scored the lone goal of the match late in the first half, as South Korea began a campaign for its first Asian Cup title in 55 years.Stielike acknowledged that his team could have played better but he was satisfied

Jan. 11, 2015

Chelsea moves 2 points clear of City at top of EPL

LONDON (AP) ― Chelsea overcame a difficult start to beat Newcastle 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, moving two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after Manuel Pellegrini’s side was held to a 1-1 draw at Everton.Oscar led Jose Mourinho’s team to victory, putting Chelsea ahead in the 43rd minute against the run of play after a quickly worked corner by Willian and Branislav Ivanovic.Oscar then set up Diego Costa’s second-half goal by controlling Eden Hazard’s chippe

Jan. 11, 2015

‘Preparations going smoothly’

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― On the eve of his team’s first AFC Asian Cup match in Australia, South Korea men’s football head coach Uli Stielike said Friday preparations have gone well so far.South Korea is trying to win its first Asian Cup title since 1960, and the quest to end the drought will begin with Saturday’s Group A match against Oman here in Canberra. The kickoff is 4 p.m. here and 2 p.m. in Seoul.“We have on injuries to report, and the team morale is high,”Stielike said at the pre-match press

Jan. 9, 2015

Not to be taken lightly

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― When South Korea opens its 2015 AFC Asian Cup campaign Saturday against Oman, it will face a team that has the potential to surprise unsuspecting opponents.South Korea is currently the third-highest ranked country in the AFC at 69th, while Oman is sitting at 93rd. South Korea holds an edge in all-time meetings with three wins and a loss, but the last clash between the two came in 2004.And based on its recent performance, Oman may not be such an easy hurdle for South Korea in

Jan. 8, 2015

Glory on the line

CANBERRA (Yonhap) ― The 2015 AFC Asian Cup will kick off Friday with the opening Group A showdown between the host Australia and Kuwait in Melbourne, as South Korea will try to end its 55-year title drought at the continent’s largest football tournament.The Asian Cup will feature 16 countries divided into four groups, with Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle serving as host cities. The top two nations from each group will reach the knockout stage, and the championship final is sc

Jan. 7, 2015

Japan arrives without defender

The Asian Cup will be part of a rapid getting-to-know-you phase for the bulk of teams and their coaches in Australia, adding an extra layer of difficulty ― and intrigue ― to the continental championship.There are plenty of new players for the quadrennial tournament starting Friday, and more new faces in the coaching ranks ― only six of the 16 teams had the same coach at the end of 2014 that they started the year with.Defending champion Japan arrived over the weekend missing one of its stars ― an

Jan. 6, 2015

Korea prepares for first cup match

The Korean national soccer team trains in Canberra, Australia, Tuesday. (Yonhap)SYDNEY (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s national soccer team on Tuesday left Sydney for Canberra, the site of its first two matches of the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.Coached by Uli Stielike, the 23-man team will be trying to win South Korea’s first Asian Cup title since 1960.The country has been paired with Australia, Oman and Kuwait in Group A. The first match for South Korea will be against Oman at the 25,000-seat Can

Jan. 6, 2015

Unfinished business

SYDNEY (Yonhap) ― The South Korean starting goalkeeper job for the AFC Asian Cup remained as murky as ever after the team blanked Saudi Arabia 2-0 in its tune-up match before the tournament with two custodians bailing out inconsistent defenders.Head coach Uli Stielike has named three goalkeepers to his 23-man squad for the continent’s largest football competition, which will kick off on Friday. South Korea’s first match will be on Saturday against Oman in Canberra.Against Saudi Arabia in Sydney,

Jan. 5, 2015

Spurs inflict Chelsea’s 2nd loss of season

LONDON (AP) ― Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham overwhelmed Chelsea 5-3 in an electrifying London derby on Thursday to enhance its top-four credentials while ensuring its neighbor’s English Premier League lead was wiped out.The New Year’s Day capitulation was only Chelsea’s second loss of the season and the first time that a Jose Mourinho Chelsea side had conceded so many times in the league, including his 2004-07 reign.Such was the frenzied nature of the game, the most significant result of

Jan. 2, 2015