PAJU, Gyeonggi Province (Yonhap) ― All three injured members of the South Korean World Cup squad have recovered from their ailments and are ready to engage in full practices, the national team physician said Friday.Forwards Park Chu-young and Koo Ja-cheol, and midfielder Ki Sung-yueng are all healthy now, physician Song Jun-sub said, as the rest of the 23-man squad are prepping for the summer’s big tournament in Brazil at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.Park came down wit

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ― Carles Puyol reluctantly quit football on Thursday, his knees no longer able to endure the demands of the Barcelona defense after 15 years, the most successful period in the club’s history.At an organized send-off at the Camp Nou, Puyol said his goodbyes having won 21 trophies since his debut during the 1998-99 season, with nagging knee injuries having forced him out.“I gave everything. (But) we couldn’t find a solution (to the injury) though we never stopped trying,” sai

With an English club refusing to release a South Korean defender for his pre-World Cup camp, national team head coach Hong Myung-bo on Thursday expressed concern that the situation might have further negative impact on other overseas-based players.Yun Suk-young of Queens Park Rangers had been scheduled to report to South Korea’s camp at the National Football Center here in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The second-division English club, however, has yet to send him over, with a promotion pl

SAO PAULO (AP) ― It’s all coming down to the final 30 days.Brazil had seven years to get ready for the World Cup, but it enters the final month of preparations with a lot yet to be done.Three stadiums are still under construction, some of the temporary structures needed for matches are delayed and it remains unclear if all cities will have time to organize the mandatory fanfests.It’s already known that not all infrastructure will be completed no matter how much organizers rush before the June 12

South Korean defender Yun Suk-young of the Queens Park Rangers was unable to report to the country’s pre-World Cup training camp as scheduled on Wednesday, owing to his English club’s upcoming match.According to the Korea Football Association, Yun, who was named to South Korea’s 23-man roster for this year’s FIFA World Cup, had been set to report to the camp at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul, on Wednesday. However, QPR, which has qualified for a promotion playoff final agai

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Rio Ferdinand brought his trophy-filled, 12-year stay at Manchester United to an end on Monday by announcing he would be leaving Old Trafford to continue his playing career.The 35-year-old Ferdinand, who became England’s most expensive player when he joined United from Leeds for 29.1 million pounds in 2002, has not been offered an extension to his contract that expires next month.He suggested, however, that his departure was on his own terms, saying in a statement: “I

When South Korea drew Algeria, Belgium and Russia in Group H at the World Cup draw held in December in Brazil, you could almost hear sighs of relief by South Korean brass on the other side of the globe in Seoul.After all, South Korea avoided Spain, the defending World Cup champ and world No. 1, among other European powerhouses, and also South American contenders such as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.Yet to view Group H as an easy one for South Korea is to dismiss the quality of the three other t

South Korea has entered the race to win the rights to host the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup along with four other countries, the global football governing body’s website showed Saturday.FIFA’s home page said England, France, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as South Korea, submitted their letters of intent to host the event that is held every four years.FIFA said with the exception of South Africa, the other four countries have expressed a desire to host the U20 Women’s World Cup set for 201

South Korea has entered the race to win the rights to host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup along with four other countries, the global football governing body's website showed Saturday (Korea time).FIFA's home page said England, France, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as South Korea, submitted their letters of intent to host the games that are held every four years.FIFA said with the exception of South Africa, the other four countries have expressed a desire to host the U-20 Women's World