The Korea Herald

Arsenal, Tottenham on course for Champions League

May 5, 2013

MANCHESTER (AP) ― Tottenham and Arsenal relied on the strength of their wingers Saturday to stay on course for qualification for next season’s Champions League.Gareth Bale smashed home a shot in 86th-minute from the edge of the penalty area, leading Tottenham to a 1-0 victory over Southampton in the Premier League. It was his 20th league goal of the season, coming in his first game since he was honored as English soccer’s player of the year.“A great moment of individual brilliance,” Tottenham ma
QPR cancels visit to Korea

May 3, 2013

English soccer club Queens Park Rangers have canceled their planned trip to South Korea this summer to focus on rebuilding for next season, British papers have reported.Two local papers ― the Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle and London24 ― reported online that Tony Fernandes, the chairman of the London-based club, has decided to scrap the July visit to South Korea. Last week, Gyeongnam FC, a first-division South Korean club in the K League Classic, had announced that it would host QPR for an exhib
Spanish league investigates possible match fix

May 3, 2013

The Spanish football league is investigating a game between topflight teams Levante and Deportivo La Coruna for possible match-fixing.League spokesman Juan Carlos Santamaria confirmed Spanish media reports to The Associated Press on Friday that the league was examining Deportivo's 4-0 win at Levante on April 13.Following the loss, Levante forward Jose Barkero apparently accused some of his teammates of a lack of effort in the match. He later publicly retracted his accusations.“I only want to mak
Sheik Salman elected chief of Asian soccer

May 2, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR (AP) ― Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain was elected president of the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday, replacing longtime rival Mohamed bin Hammam.Sheik Salman comprehensively beat bin Hammam allies Yousuf al-Serkal of the United Arab Emirates and Thailand’s Worawi Makudi in voting by 46 member federations.Sheik Salman received 33 votes on the first ballot, two more than needed for outright victory. Makudi got seven votes and al-Serkal six.The Bahraini royal wa
Two Korean clubs advance

May 2, 2013

Two of the four South Korean teams at Asia’s premier club competition have advanced to the knockout phase, hoping to maintain the country’s recent run of dominance at the annual tournament.FC Seoul and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of the K League Classic are through to the round of 16 at the AFC Champions League. The group stage concluded earlier this week, and with FC Seoul having qualified for the next round a week earlier, Jeonbuk also made it to the knockout stage with a 0-0 draw against Guangzhou
Lim Sang-hyub ‘most handsome player’ in K League

May 2, 2013

Lim Sang-hyub from the Busan IPark team has been selected the "most handsome player" in the K League, Korea’s pro soccer league.The Korea Football Association said on Thursday that fans voted the 25-year-old midfielder as the most attractive player in the K League, while Lee Dong-gook from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Hong Jung-Ho from Jeju United came in second and third, respectively.The association conducted the survey from April 25-30 on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.Lim Sang-hyub received
Bayern Munich lines up CL final with Dortmund

May 2, 2013

Barcelona star Lionel Messi watched from the sideline as Bayern Munich completed its dismantling of the Spanish side with a 3-0 win on Wednesday, lining up the first all-German Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.With its all-time leading scorer out after he aggravated a right hamstring injury, Barcelona failed to seriously threaten Bayern's goal _ much less an epic comeback after its 4-0 first-leg defeat.Bayern, meanwhile, humbled a team that has been the envy of European football
Two S. Korean clubs advance in AFC Champions League

May 2, 2013

Two of the four South Korean football teams at Asia's premier club competition have advanced to the knockout phase, hoping to maintain the country's recent run of dominance at the annual tournament.FC Seoul and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of the K League Classic are through to the round of 16 at the AFC Champions League. The group stage concluded earlier this week, and with FC Seoul having qualified for the next round a week earlier, Jeonbuk also made it to the knockout stage with a 0-0 draw against
Dortmund reaches Champions League final

May 1, 2013

MADRID (AP) ― Borussia Dortmund needed every bit of its first-leg advantage to stave off a comeback attempt by Real Madrid and reach the Champions League final for the first time since 1997.Karim Benzema scored in the 83rd minute and Sergio Ramos in the 88th, putting Real Madrid in position to advance with one more goal. But Dortmund held on for a 4-3 aggregate win following a 2-0 loss Tuesday night.“They put a lot of pressure on us,” Dortmund midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz said. “However, we are
'Clumsy' Sepp Blatter cleared of any wrongdoing

May 1, 2013

Despite being labeled “clumsy” for his part in one of FIFA's biggest corruption scandals, Sepp Blatter was cleared of any criminal or unethical wrongdoing in a case involving millions of dollars in bribes for World Cup contracts.The reputation of Blatter's predecessor as FIFA president, Joao Havelange, was further damaged, however. The 96-year-old Brazilian, who led FIFA from 1974-98, was forced to step down as honorary president due to his involvement in the case.A report issued Tuesday by FIFA
Redknapp remains QPR boss

Apr 30, 2013

LONDON (AFP) ― Queens Park Rangers confirmed Monday that Harry Redknapp will remain as their manager next season despite the London club’s relegation from the Premier League.QPR’s goalless draw at Reading on Sunday saw both clubs demoted and speculation over 66-year-old Redknapp’s future intensified when Hoops owner Tony Fernandes, a leading Malaysian businessman, said he would be holding talks with the former Portsmouth and Tottenham boss.However, Fernandes confirmed later Monday that Redknapp
Villa routs Sunderland 6-1 to close in on safety

Apr 30, 2013

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) ― Aston Villa moved closer to avoiding relegation from the Premier League after Christian Benteke scored a second-half hat trick in a 6-1 thrashing of Sunderland on Monday.The Belgian international scored in the 55th, 60th and 72nd minutes at Villa Park to tally 22 league goals and 27 in all competitions in his first season at the club.More importantly, Villa moved five points clear of Wigan in the final relegation place. Sunderland, Villa and Newcastle are all on 37 poi
Pohang, Jeonbuk face crucial AFC matches

Apr 29, 2013

Hopes of further advance hang in the balance for two South Korean teams at the top Asian club competition this week.Pohang Steelers of the K League Classic face a must-win situation as they host Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan in the Group G finale at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the AFC Champions League.Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have a bit more breathing room, as they take on Guangzhou Evergrande on the road on Wednesday at 9 p.m., Korean time. They can clinch first place with a win, and with some help from other te
Reading, QPR relegated; Van Persie thwarts Arsenal

Apr 29, 2013

Reading and Queens Park Rangers were put out of their misery and relegated from the Premier League on Sunday, while Robin van Persie ensured his former club Arsenal will have to put up a tough fight to reach the Champions League.Reading and QPR were demoted after they drew 0-0, leaving just one more spot to be determined in the drop zone. Booed relentlessly on his return to Arsenal, Van Persie gave away the ball that resulted in newly crowned champion Manchester United conceding an early goal. B
Messi’s goal streak hits 20

Apr 28, 2013

BARCELONA (AP) ― Barcelona gave up a tying goal in the 90th minute, spoiling a great performance by Lionel Messi in a 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao. The outcome means the leaders must wait another week for a chance to clinch the Spanish league title.With his team trailing 1-0, Messi came off the bench in the 59th minute to transform his club and in 10 minutes the visitors were in front.Messi extended his record run of scoring in 20 straight league appearances when he dribbled through a pack of d