Feisty Korean women keep Olympic football hopes alive

When South Korean women's football head coach Yoon Duk-yeo said last month his team could reach the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this year, local fans praised him for his confidence, but at the same time, there were doubts.Yet after two hard-fought draws against heavy favorites, South Korea still have a shot at qualifying for their first Olympics, as improbable as it seems.South Korea, which have never reached the Summer Games since women's football was first contested in Atla

March 3, 2016

Football chief likely to lead Korean delegation in Rio

Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, is set to be named the head of the South Korean athletic delegation for the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a senior football official said on Wednesday.According to the KFA official, who asked not to be named, Chung recently received a request from the Korean Olympic Committee to lead the South Korean squad at the Rio Games and he is "positively" reviewing the offer. A KOC official confirmed Wednesday that South Korea'

March 2, 2016

S. Korea hold N. Korea to 1-1 draw in women's Olympic football qualifier

South Korea held favored North Korea to a 1-1 draw at the final Asian women's Olympic football qualifying tournament Monday in Japan, a decent start to the quest for their maiden Summer Games appearance.At Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Jung Seol-bin put the 18th-ranked South Korea on board just past the half-hour mark, but Kim Un-ju scored the 79th-minute equalizer for world No. 6 North Korea to salvage a draw.The result snapped South Korea's losing streak against North Korea at nine. North Kor

Feb. 29, 2016

Suwon to utilize players from their youth academy

Suwon Samsung Bluewings were once one of the richest football clubs in South Korea being supported by local tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. But after Cheil Worldwide Inc., Samsung Group's advertisement arm, took over the club in 2014, spending went down as the management went for efficiency. Having a small budget means that Suwon face hurdles in bringing in high-profile footballers from outside and keeping star players on the squad. Despite finishing second in the country's top division K Lea

Feb. 25, 2016

Korea women's football can qualify for Olympics: coach

The South Korean women's football team last year had a historic run at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, reaching the round of 16 for the first time.The ladies now aim for another milestone: going to this year's Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.Since women's football was first staged at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, South Korea have never appeared at the Olympics. But head coach Yoon Duk-yeo said Wednesday there is a good possibility that the drought will end this year.South Korea wil

Feb. 24, 2016

Jeonbuk seeks best combination of new and old players

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors last season had no problem defending their title in the top-tier K League Classic as they clinched their fourth domestic league title with two matches to spare.But that doesn't mean the club had a satisfying season as Jeonbuk was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League after losing to Japanese side Gamba Osaka.The result in Asia's premier club tournament prompted Jeonbuk to recruit a slew of local big names for the squad t

Feb. 24, 2016

Korean clubs on crash course with Chinese rivals at AFC Champions League

Four South Korean football teams start Asia's premier club competition this week with big-spending Chinese clubs presenting obstacles on their road to the title.With 3.5 slots at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League allocated to the top-tier K League Classic, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the top two clubs in the league, have directly advanced to the group stage. FC Seoul joined them as the winner of the domestic Football Association (FA) Cup.The Pohang S

Feb. 22, 2016

Korea unveil women's football roster for Olympic qualifiers

South Korea on Friday announced their women's football squad for the Asian qualifiers of the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, led by Chelsea Ladies FC attacker Ji So-yun.The Korea Football Association unveiled the 20-woman squad for the final regional qualification round for the Summer Games in Rio. The qualification starts Feb. 29 and ends March 9 in Osaka, Japan. South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Australia, China and Vietnam will play each other once, and the top two teams will earn their ticket

Feb. 19, 2016

Dates set for Korea's friendlies vs. Spain, Czech Republic

Dates for South Korea's football friendlies against Spain and the Czech Republic have been set, the sport's national federation said Friday.South Korea will take on Spain on June 1 in Salzburg, Austria, and face the Czech Republic on June 5 in Prague, the Czech Republic, according to the Korea Football Association, which said earlier this week it was in talks with the two European counterparts to set matches in early June.The teams are trying to arrange kickoff times, the KFA added.The Spanish F

Feb. 19, 2016

Former coach of star footballers dies of heart attack

Jeong Jong-deok, a former South Korean football coach who produced future World Cup heroes, died of a heart attack on Tuesday. He was 73.Jeong coached Konkuk University in Seoul for 20 years starting in 1980, winning seven trophies in domestic college football tournaments. His star-studded list of former pupils features former Tottenham Hotspur left back Lee Young-pyo and former national team striker Hwang Sun-hong and midfielder Yoo Sang-chul. All three were integral members of the South Korean

Feb. 18, 2016

Retired footballer Cha Du-ri loses divorce suit

A Seoul court dismissed a suit filed by retired footballer Cha Du-ri seeking a divorce from his wife, court officials said Thursday. The Seoul Family Court rejected the 36-year-old's claim, saying that he did not receive any unfair treatment from his 37-year-old wife, only identified by her surname Shin.The court also rejected Cha's claim to parental rights and custody of the couple's two children, the officials said.Cha, the son of South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun, tied the knot in 2009

Feb. 18, 2016

Korea seeking to schedule football friendlies vs. Spain, Czech Republic

The national football federation said Wednesday it is trying to schedule friendlies against Spain and the Czech Republic this summer.The Korea Football Association said it is in talks with the two European counterparts to hold matches in June, and the final details regarding the venue and kickoff times will likely be determined sometime in March.According to a KFA official, South Korea will likely face Spain, ranked third in the world, in Austria, where Spain will be training ahead of the Euro 2

Feb. 17, 2016

Korea coach to return from vacation, begin prep for final World Cup qualifying stage

South Korea men's football head coach Uli Stielike is scheduled to return from his vacation next week to begin preparing for the final World Cup qualification stage, the sport's national governing body said Friday.According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), Stielike will arrive back in South Korea next Wednesday, ending his offseason break that lasted for a little over a month.Even during his time off, Stielike attended South Korean matches at the Asian Football Confederation  U-23 Champi

Feb. 12, 2016

Top domestic football league identifies illegal practice, mulls over punishment

The nation's top football league said Friday it is mulling over the appropriate punishment for an illegal economic practice banned by the sport's international governing body.An official with the K League said the league office has identified cases of third-party ownership, and that it may convene a disciplinary committee meeting to discuss potential punishments.Third-party ownership refers to a club's sharing of a player's economic rights with third-party sources such as agents, management agen

Feb. 12, 2016

Long, winding trip ahead for Vietnamese football club competing in Korea

Vietnamese football side Hanoi T&T must complete a long and winding trip this weekend to South Korea before they will face a local team for a spot at Asia's top club competition, officials here said Thursday.Hanoi T&T will meet Pohang Steelers of the K League Classic in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, next Tuesday in the final playoff for the Asian Football Confederation Champions League. The winner will make it to the group stage of the annual tournament.According to K League officials, Hano

Feb. 4, 2016

Korean club Pohang to face Vietnamese side in AFC Champions League playoff

South Korean side Pohang Steelers will battle a Vietnamese team for a spot at Asia's top club football competition.Pohang, representing the first-division K League Classic, will take on Hanoi T&T in the final playoff for the Asian Football Confederation Champions League. Hanoi T&T defeated Kitchee of Hong Kong 1-0 in the earlier playoff match Tuesday.The kickoff for the one-and-done match between Pohang and Hanoi will be 2 p.m. next Tuesday at Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Provin

Feb. 3, 2016

Korea lose to Japan to fall shy of Asian men's U-23

South Korea dropped to Japan 3-2 Saturday to come up short of the Asian men's under-23 football title in Doha.South Korea blew a 2-0 second-half lead in the final of the the 2016 Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship, as Japan scored three unanswered goals in a 14-minute span at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital. The tournament also served as the Asian qualification event for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. Both countries had already secured their Olympic berth

Jan. 31, 2016

Rising star eyes Olympic football glory

After enjoying a coming-out party at the Asian Olympic men's football qualification tournament, South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan said he hopes to be part of the Summer Games, too.South Korea clinched their eighth consecutive Olympic berth by reaching the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship here in the Qatari capital. The championship also serves as the regional qualification event for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and South Korea have secured one of

Jan. 28, 2016

Korea, Japan to renew football rivalry at continental championship

South Korea and Japan will renew their football rivalry at the continental under-23 championship on Saturday in Qatar.The two countries will meet in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, or 11:45 p.m. Saturday in South Korea.The championship is also the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, and both countries have already secured their Olympic berths by reaching the f

Jan. 28, 2016

With Olympic football berth secured, focus shifts to 'wild-card' selection

Now that South Korea have secured an Olympic men's football berth, the focus will soon shift to the selection of overage players for the quadrennial competition.South Korea on Tuesday defeated Qatar 3-1 in the semifinals at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in Doha.By reaching the final of the competition, which doubles as the regional Olympic qualifying tournament, South Korea clinched one of three Asian spots at this year's Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.The Olympic foot

Jan. 27, 2016