Hiddink arrives in Seoul

Guus HiddinkFormer South Korean national football coach Guus Hiddink arrived in Seoul on Friday for a five-day visit. The Dutchman, who successfully guided the Taeguk Warriors into the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup, came to attend the opening of “Hiddink Dream Field,” a futsal field in the southeastern city of Ulsan on June 14. During his five-day trip, Hiddink will meet Chung Mong-joon, honora

June 10, 2011

Clubs deny Hong full Olympic squad

Summer is usually time for a rest for the European football league, but for U23 national team manager Hong Myung-bo, it is crucial: Hong’s U23 team is preparing for the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers. But the former national team captain admitted that he was having difficulty preparing for the qualifying matches. Hong named Thursday a 23-man squad for their Asian qualifier against Jordan this mont

June 9, 2011

Ji Dong-won to join Sunderland in Premier League

South Korea’s rising young striker Ji Dong-won of Chunnam Dragons is set to join Sunderland in the English Premier League, an official from Chunnam said Thursday.Chunnam has agreed on a fee with Sunderland for the sale of the 20-year-old striker, according to the club official. The signing fee has not been disclosed but it is reportedly between $1 million and $1.3 million.Sunderland finished 10th

June 9, 2011

Ji rises to occasion against Ghana

He finally seems happy. For manager Cho Kwang-rae, one of the biggest tasks has been how to fill the void left by Park Ji-sung of Manchester United. The indispensable midfielder retired from the national team earlier this year to focus on playing for his club. Cho was not content with several players he had tested. But on Tuesday night, the hard-nosed manager finally found the right man ― forward

June 8, 2011

Koo scores late winner against Ghana

South Korea edged out Ghana 2-1 in Tuesday's friendly at Jeonju Worldcup Stadium in North Jeolla Province thanks to a late goal from Koo Ja-cheol. Cho Kwang-rae's team took the lead after Ji Dong-won of Chunnam Dragons scored 10 minutes in. The Africans equalized through Asamoah Gyan 17 minutes into the second half. Ji Dong-won (right) congratulates Koo Ja-cheol after he scored the winning goal ag

June 7, 2011

English clubs set sights on Park

Korean national team striker Park Chu-young could join former captain Park Ji-sung in the Premier League next season. Several English clubs have opened talks with him about a possible summer move. In the European football leagues, the summer is the time when clubs sign new players and ship others out. In a recent summer transfer rumor, the AS Monaco striker is linked to Tottenham Hotspur.Tottenham

June 6, 2011

Hiddink leaves door open for Chelsea

BRUSSELS (AP) ― Guus Hiddink left the possibility of a return to Chelsea open and his future with Turkey uncertain.The 64-year-old Dutchman put a hand over his heart when recollections of Chelsea came up and said “it was a beautiful time.” Despite his contract with Turkey till next year, he did not rule out reliving them soon.When asked after Turkey’s 1-1 draw with Belgium late Friday whether he w

June 5, 2011

Rooney delighted with hair transplant

LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has expressed his delight after undergoing a hair transplant.Rooney confirmed on his Twitter account he visited a top London clinic for treatment in a bid to restore his receding locks."Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25 why not. I'm delighted with the result." Manchester United'

June 5, 2011

Ex-national team player arrested for match-fixing

Former national team striker Kim Dong-hyun was arrested on match-fixing charges Wednesday, accused of linking other players to gambling brokers.Prosecutors believe Kim, 27, who now plays with Sangju Sangmu, received bribes from brokers and transferred the money to other suspected players. Sangju FC’s Kim Dong-hyunWith Kim’s arrest, six players from the K-League have been arrested on charges of rec

June 2, 2011

Hong unhappy with U23 squad

Korean U23 team manager Hong Myung-bo has admitted that he is unhappy with his current squad despite watching his side defeat Oman 3-1 in a home friendly Wednesday. Korea came back from behind to win the game at Gangneung Stadium thanks to defender Hwang Do-yeon and striker Bae Chun-suk. The host pressured Oman in the first 20 minutes but the Oman side fought back with counterattacks, taking a lea

June 2, 2011

KFA takes steps to prevent match-fixing

South Korea’s football governing body announced on Wednesday that it will set up a special committee to prevent match-fixing.Korea Football Association said in a statement that it will establish an emergency committee of representatives from the KFA, the Ministry of Justice and all the professional and amateur leagues here, including the K-League.The decision came as the country’s top division lea

June 1, 2011

Blatter rejects crisis talk as scandal widens

ZURICH (AP) ― In the face of FIFA’s worst scandal in its 107-year history, a seething Sepp Blatter denied it is in crisis on Monday as he moved closer to a fourth presidential term as head of the world’s most popular sport.With his only challenger, Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, provisionally suspended along with FIFA vice president Jack Warner due to bribery allegations, Blatter said the two had do

May 31, 2011

K-League chief vows solutions

Chung calls for action to root out corruption in soccerChung Mong-gyu, the head of the country’s top division football league, has announced that he will take all measures necessary to root out match-fixing attempts.Chung, president of the K-league, made a public apology on Monday, admitting that the league is facing the “worst crisis” in its history. His comment came in the wake of allegations th

May 30, 2011

Messi's Barcelona beats Man United 3-1 in final

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, right, and Javier Mascherano celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London, Saturday, May 28, 2011. (AP-Yonhap News)WEMBLEY, England (AP) _ Barcelona and Lionel Messi put their places among football's all-time greats beyond all doubt Saturday as the Argentina striker scored one goal and

May 29, 2011

Park eyes more hardware

Korean likely in starting lineup for Champions League finalPark Ji-sung is known for never stopping on the pitch, his quick moves have earned him the nickname “Three Lung Park” in England. He is also proving to have an unquenchable thirst for collecting medals and trophies with Manchester United. The UEFA Champions League trophy, the biggest prize in club soccer is on offer on Saturday evening (3:

May 26, 2011

2 Korean teams in Asian club tourney quarters

FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung Bluewings of South Korea’s K-League advanced to the quarterfinals of an ongoing Asian club football competition Wednesday.In the round of 16 action at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League, FC Seoul defeated Kashima Antlers of Japan 3-0 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. In Suwon, about 46 kilometers south of Seoul, the Bluewings blanked Nagoya Grampus, also of Japa

May 26, 2011

Head coach Cho criticizes KFA over player selections

It’s been just over nine months since Cho Kwang-rae took over the national team, but the manager has acknowledged that he is having a tough time. Cho said Monday that he was having a difficult time cooperating with the Korea Football Association, saying there is too much intrusion by the governing body.National team manager Cho Kwang-rae (Yonhap News)The former Gyeongnam FC manger blamed Lee Hoi-t

May 24, 2011