Costa Rica's interim football coach Ronald Gonzalez said Thursday he expects a tough match with South Korea even though the opponents are playing their first match under a new head coach.Costa Rica will face South Korea at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Friday. For South Korea, it will be their first match with new head coach Paulo Bento.Gonzalez said he analyzed Bento's football in the past and expects South Korea to play a 4-3-3 formation for an aggressive and quick style of play

South Korean defender Lee Yong said Thursday his national teammates are eager to display their talent to the new head coach and that will lead to good performances in the upcoming friendly match against Costa Rica.Lee is one of the 24 footballers who were selected by Paulo Bento for South Korea's friendly matches against Costa Rica and Chile. South Korea will first take on Costa Rica on Friday and then face Chile four days later.Lee said the players are set to deliver positive results in Bento's

South Korea's new men's national football team head coach Paulo Bento said Thursday that he is ready to display his football philosophy in his debut match. Bento, who was appointed as the men's national football boss on Aug. 17, will make his South Korean coaching debut on Friday when the national team takes on Costa Rica in a friendly match at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul. The kickoff time is 8 p.m. "I'm happy and positive that I can now play with the South Korean national team," Be

South Korea's under-23 football coach, Kim Hak-bum, said Thursday he didn't talk about military service exemption with his players during the 18th Asian Games. South Korea defended their Asiad men's football title, beating Japan 2-1 in the final at Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, south of Jakarta, on Saturday. With their gold medals, 20 South Korean footballers, including Son Heung-min, earned exemption from mandatory national duty.  (Yonhap)All healthy South Korean men between 18 and 35 must ser

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin suffered his first career loss against the New York Mets on Wednesday, as a promising start turned ugly quickly.Ryu gave up 11 hits and five runs -- two unearned -- in six innings in the Dodgers' 7-3 loss at Dodger Stadium. The left-hander dropped to 4-2 for the season and his ERA rose from 2.24 to 2.47.The three earned runs tied for season-worst for Ryu, who missed three months of action beginning in May with a groin injury.

The nation's top professional baseball league announced Wednesday it will halt the practice of a midseason break during the Asian Games starting with the next competition.The decision by the Korea Baseball Organization hints at the possibility of picking at least some amateur players for the quadrennial event.At the recently concluded Asian Games in Jakarta, South Korea won its third straight gold medal by defeating a Japanese team of amateurs 3-0 in the final. (Yonhap)Baseball joined the Asian

Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo was removed from the national soccer team for a pair of September friendlies on Wednesday with a knee injury sustained during the Asian Games.　The Korea Football Association said Jo will not dress for new head coach Paulo Bento when South Korea hosts Costa Rica on Friday and Chile next Tuesday. Jo was South Korea’s No. 1 goalkeeper at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, which concluded Sunday, and helped the country to a second straight gold medal.　Jo suffered an injury to

Dragon boat paddlers from the two Koreas will not be able to form a joint team at the upcoming world championships in the United States because North Korean athletes haven't been granted visas, a report said Wednesday.Citing officials at the International Canoe Federation, Radio Free Asia said the unified Korean team will not be a part of the ICF Dragon Boat World Championships in Gainesville, Georgia, starting on Sept. 13. (Yonhap)The Koreas assembled combined teams in men's and women's dragon

South Korea will play friendly football matches with Uruguay, Panama and Uzbekistan later this year, the national football governing body said Tuesday.The Korea Football Association said South Korea, now led by new head coach Paulo Bento, will face Uruguay on Oct. 12 and take on Panama four days later. Both matches will be held at home, but the exact venues will be decided later. The KFA added South Korea will meet Uzbekistan in Brisbane, Australia, on Nov. 20, three days after they play against

Lee Wang-pyo, who was viewed as the godfather of South Korea's pro wrestling, died Tuesday after a battle against gallbladder cancer. He was 64. Lee, who headed the Korean Pro Wrestling Association, died at 9:48 a.m., its officials said. (Yonhap)Lee, who was the top pupil of "head-butt master" late Kim Il, made his pro wrestling debut in 1975 and rose in the scene after winning the heavyweight championship belt at the World Wrestling Association. When the popularity of pro wrestling started goin

JAKARTA -- Members of the unified Korean women's basketball team went their separate ways on Monday after combining for silver at the Asian Games in a farewell that mixed laughter and tears.The three North Korean players on the team, Ro Suk-yong, Jang Mi-gyong and Kim Hye-yon, bid adieu to their nine South Korean teammates at the athletes' village in Jakarta, one of the co-host cities of the Asian Games that concluded on Sunday. (Yonhap)The joint Korean team won silver medal, following a 71-65 l

INCHEON -- South Korea's under-23 national football team players returned to a heroes' welcome Monday after winning the gold medal at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia. The 20-player team, led by head coach Kim Hak-bum, received a warm welcome from hundreds of fans at Incheon International Airport. The players and coaching staff took a group photo with their gold medals before they disbanded.  (Yonhap)South Korea defeated Japan 2-1 in extra time to claim their Asiad men's football title. Lee Seu

The International Boxing Association will introduce a right of protest against controversial judging "to ensure fair play" and prevent a repeat of ugly scenes that marred the Asian Games.Two North Korean boxing coaches were thrown out of the Asian Games Saturday after refusing to leave the ring and inciting the crowd after their fighter lost gold on a split decision to a Chinese boxer. (AFP)Police had to move in to escort the duo, who had their Asian Games credentials immediately removed, from t

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is hoping South and North Korea will march and compete together at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reports claimed on Sunday.According to AFP and Kyodo News, Bach made the remarks in Jakarta on the final day of the 18th Asian Games. The Koreas marched together at the opening ceremony here on Aug. 18 and fielded unified teams in canoeing, rowing and women's basketball. They won four medals together, including a gold in women's d

Now comes the hard part for Japan, which is pledging to win 30 gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.Japan is sure to get a "medal bounce" as the Olympic host country. But how big? China got a giant one at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Britain capitalized in 2012 in London. Even Brazil got a slight boost two years ago in Rio de Janeiro, despite the country being dragged down by a deep recession and a massive corruption scandal.Japan won 75 gold medals as the Asian Games closed on Sunday, secon