The Korea Herald

Scottish coach sacked by Seoul football club

Jun 15, 2016

Martin Rennie, former head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer (MLS), was sacked by a South Korean second-tier club on Wednesday.Seoul E-Land FC announced that Rennie will be released from his contract by mutual agreement. The 41-year-old Scot became the club's first-ever head coach when he joined the K League Challenge side in July 2014. He is also the first foreigner to manage a second division pro club in South Korea. (Yonhap)"Seoul E-Land FC thank Martin Rennie for leadin
Korea stun 10-man Czech Republic in football friendly

Jun 6, 2016

South Korea stunned the 10-man Czech Republic in a 2-1 football friendly victory in Prague on Sunday.Midfielder Yoon Bitgaram had a goal and set up another in South Korea's first-ever win over the Czechs. The South Koreans entered the match at Eden Arena with three draws and a loss in their previous four meetings. Sunday's victory was sweet revenge for their 5-0 loss in 2001.It also washed off painful memories of South Korea's crushing 6-1 defeat against Spain in Austria on Wednesday. South Kore
Son Heung-min apologizes over 'towel incident' in football friendly vs. Spain

Jun 3, 2016

South Korean forward Son Heung-min has apologized for his towel-tossing conduct in a recently friendly match against Spain, saying he was mad about his performance in the team's 6-1 defeat.Son threw a towel at the bench after he was subbed out during the loss at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday. The Tottenham Hotspur forward was replaced by midfielder Lee Jae-sung in the 60th minute, when South Korea were trailing 5-0. (Yonhap)Son is now in Prague for South Korea's friendly agai
Korea lose 6-1 to Spain in football friendly

Jun 2, 2016

South Korea lost 6-1 to Spain in a football friendly match on Wednesday as their unbeaten streak came to an end with their worst defeat in 15 years.Goals from David Silva, Alvaro Morata, Cesc Fabregas, and Manuel "Nolito" Agudo snapped South Korea's victory run at 16.South Korea hadn't lost since falling 2-1 to Australia at the Asian Cup final in January 2015. Spain also ended South Korea's nine-game winning streak and their record of 10 consecutive shutouts. South Korea's head-to-head record ag
FC Seoul coach confident of advancing in AFC Champions League

May 24, 2016

FC Seoul head coach Choi Yong-soo said Tuesday that he is confident of reaching the quarterfinals at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League despite dropping the opening leg in the round of 16.Seoul, which reached the AFC Champions League knockout stage as Group F winners, last week suffered a 1-0 loss against the Urawa Red Diamonds in Saitama, Japan. To join the last eight, the South Korean side needs a victory by two goals or more in the second leg on Wednesday at home.“Our players a
Korea unveil squad for friendlies vs. Spain, Czech Republic

May 23, 2016

Korea on Monday unveiled their 20-man squad for upcoming friendly matches against Spain and the Czech Republic, as some players who have been struggling with their European clubs were left out. Korea, 54th in FIFA world rankings, will take on No. 6 Spain on June 1 in Salzburg, Austria, and face the No. 29 Czech Republic on June 5 in Prague. They will be Korea's first matches against European nations since Uli Stielike became head coach in September 2014. They're also designed to help Korea prepa
Korean roster set for Olympic football prep tourney

May 23, 2016

Korea on Monday announced their under-23 men's football roster for an Olympic prep tournament.Salzburg striker Hwang Hee-chan was one of 23 players named to the squad, as Korea are readying to host Nigeria, Honduras and Denmark early next month.Korea will be making their eighth straight Olympic appearance in Rio de Janeiro in August. Korea beat rival Japan to take the bronze medal at the previous Summer Games in London, the country's first Olympic medal in football.Hwang, who played an integral
Two Korean clubs chasing quarterfinals berths at AFC Champions League

May 23, 2016

Two Korean clubs will be chasing quarterfinals berths at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League this week after failing to pick up victories in the opening legs of the round of 16.Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will host Melbourne Victory at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The two played to a 1-1 draw last week in Australia.With an away goal in the bag, Jeonbuk can advance to the quarters for the second straight year with at least a scoreless
Korea confirms schedule of int'l football event for Olympics

May 18, 2016

Korea will play Nigeria first in an international football tournament created as a warm-up for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, the national football governing body said Wednesday.The Korea Football Association (KFA) said that South Korea will host Nigeria at the four-nation invitational tournament on June 2 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The men's under-23 football team will then face Honduras on June 4 at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul. They will wrap
Ex-World Cup stars named honorary ambassadors for U-20 tournament

May 18, 2016

Two former South Korean football stars were appointed honorary ambassadors for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup on Wednesday. The organizing committee of the U-20 World Cup unveiled Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan as new goodwill ambassadors for South Korea's first hosting of the FIFA tournament since 2007. The U-20 World Cup, which features 24 nations, will be played from May 20 to June 11, 2017, in Cheonan, Daejeon, Incheon, Jeju, Jeonju and Suwon. Park and Ahn are considered South Korean football
Korean footballers in Europe end seasons with regrets

May 17, 2016

South Korean footballers in Europe have wrapped up their seasons with regrets, as most of them failed to make strong impressions on their fans and coaches alike.The major European football leagues completed their 2015-16 campaigns over the weekend, and South Korean footballers in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga closed their seasons with a mixed bag of performances.Koo Ja-cheol of FC Augsburg enjoyed the most impressive performance. The 27-year-old midfielder, who joined Augs
Two Korean Premier Leaguers boost national team hopes

May 9, 2016

Two South Korean footballers in the English Premier League (EPL) are boosting the country's hopes for upcoming matches, as they each notched a goal for their clubs over the weekend.Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City are pulling their socks up ahead of the EPL season finale, trying to make an impressive finish after struggling most of the season. Their late-season surge is also welcoming news for South Korean men's football team head coach Uli Stielike, who has b
Suwon eliminated from AFC Champions League despite win over Shanghai

May 3, 2016

South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings were eliminated from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Tuesday despite a 3-0 victory over Shanghai SIPG in their final group match. In rainy and windy conditions at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul, the hosts routed group winners Shanghai, thanks to a double by forward Kim Gun-hee. The K League Classic club finished their Group G campaign at nine points with two wins, three draws and a loss, tied with Melbourne Vi
FIFA president to visit Korea next week

Apr 22, 2016

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will visit South Korea next week to meet with corporate sponsors of the international football governing body, a source close to the matter told Yonhap News Agency Friday.According to the source, Infantino will arrive in Seoul Wednesday and is expected to visit the headquarters of Hyundai Motor Group before leaving the country Thursday. This is Infantino's first visit to South Korea since he was elected FIFA's president in February.Industry insiders expect Infanti
Korean footballer named to English league's Team of the Year

Apr 22, 2016

South Korean footballer Ji So-yun was named to the Team of the Year in the top English women's football league for the second time in a row Thursday (local time).The Professional Footballers' Association announced the best lineups in the 2015-2016 season of its pro football leagues and Ji, who plays for Chelsea Ladies FC, was included on the Football Association Women's Super League Team of the Year as a right winger. It was Ji's second straight appearance in a lineup decided by the WSL players'