Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Monday. (Yonhap)INCHEON (Yonhap) ― An apologetic Korean national team coach Hong Myung-bo on Monday was noncommittal about his immediate future in the wake of the team’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup.Hong and his 23-man team returned home to little fanfare after getting eliminated from the tournament in Brazil with a winless record in three group matches.South Korea played Russia to a 1-1 draw but lost to

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s soccer team returned home early Monday following an early exit from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil with a winless record.The 23-man squad, coached by Hong Myung-bo, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from Sao Paulo via Los Angeles a little before 5 a.m. to little fanfare.South Korea, which had set out to reach the knockout phase in South America, finished last among four nations in Group H with one draw and two losses. It opened the t

Dutch, Costa Ricans surge into quarters

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar struck a stoppage-time penalty as the Netherlands staged an incredible late fightback to beat Mexico 2-1 and reach the World Cup quarter-finals here Sunday.Huntelaar kept his cool in furnace-like conditions to fire Holland into the last eight after Wesley Sneijder had scored an 88th-minute equaliser to cancel out Giovani Dos Santos's goal for Mexico.The dramatic Dutch fightback left Mexico's players in tears as their last 16 jinx struck again.Netherlands' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Bryan Ruiz calmly guided 10-man Costa Rica through a tense penalty decider against Greece on Sunday and into the World Cup quarter finals for the first time in the country's history.The Ticos' captain scored the goal that put Costa Rica ahead and also put away his penalty as the Central Americans kept their nerve to win the decider 5-3.The two sides were 1-1 after regulation time with Sokratis Papastathopoulos cancelling out Ruiz's goal in injury time to force extra time which also ended in dead

SAO PAULO (Yonhap) ― The head coaching position of the South Korean men’s national team is often referred to as the “poisoned chalice” ― for the job isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.It is arguably the most visible job in South Korean sports. And with fame and the high profile come unreasonable expectations, which have been so heightened after the Dutch coach Guus Hiddink guided South Korea to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.Though it was a historic run that probably will never b

With a spectacular swivel-and-strike, James Rodriguez provided one of the highlights of the World Cup and gave Brazil reason to worry.Rodriguez scored one of the best goals of the tournament and added a second to put Colombia into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-0 win over Uruguay on Saturday _ setting up a meeting with the host nation.  Uruguay`s Cristian Rodriguez jumps high to head the ball during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Colombia and Uruguay at t

Brazil advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win over Chile following a tense and thrilling battle that ended 1-1 after extra time. David Luiz (C) of Brazil celebrates after winning the penalty shootout of the FIFA World Cup 2014 round of 16 match between Brazil and Chile at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday. (Yonhap)Neymar, David Luiz and Marcelo scored in the shootout, and Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar saved two penalties before watching

Ten-man Belgian team beats Taeguk Warriors 1-0, wins first place in Group H