The Korea Herald

Messi nears goal record

Dec 2, 2012

BARCELONA (AP) ― Lionel Messi scored twice Saturday as Barcelona made the best start in the history of the Spanish league with a 5-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, while Real Madrid extended its dominance over Atletico Madrid by easing to a 2-0 victory.Barcelona’s 13 wins and a draw in the opening 14 rounds surpassed Madrid’s 12 wins and two draws to begin the 1991-92 campaign.The leader’s milestone, unmatched in 81 previous seasons, came in the first year under coach Tito Vilanova, who took over fro
Messi, Ronaldo up for FIFA awards

Nov 30, 2012

SAO PAULO (AP) ― Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta are the finalists for FIFA’s world player of the year award.They were picked from a list of 23 candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with Messi looking to become the first player to win the award four times. The Argentina and Barcelona playmaker won the award the last three years.“I think they are perfect picks. There is no doubt these players are among the best,” said former Brazil great Ronaldo, a three-time award winner. “M
Park’s presence to boost QPR

Nov 30, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Queens Park Rangers captain Park Ji-sung could make his long-awaited return this weekend when his winless team hosts Aston Villa in the Premier League.The former South Korea captain and Manchester United winger injured his left knee at Arsenal on Oct. 27 and returned to training last week. He missed QPR’s game against his former club on Saturday, but came off the bench in the 65th minute against Sunderland on Tuesday.Park was signed by Manchester United from Dutch club PSV Eindhove
Gwangju first team relegated in 30 years

Nov 30, 2012

On a cold night in the South Korean city of Daegu, dejected Gwangju FC players, with their Twitter names printed on the backs of their shirts, bowed to their small band of traveling fans in apology for becoming the first team to be relegated in the K-League’s 30-year history.In order to fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria, the K-League introduced relegation in 2012 to a revamped second tier. Also at the Asian Football Confederation’s behest, military club Sangju Sangmu was automatically de
Lee, team win Asian honors

Nov 30, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR (Yonhap News) ― The South Korean men’s national soccer team and one of its star players won this year’s Asian honors, its organizers said. The team was selected the National Team of the Year in the men’s category by the Asian Football Confederation, with forward Lee Keun-ho winning the AFC Asian Player of the Year honors, according to its organizers.The team award, which was first presented in 2000, reflects performances at AFC and FIFA tournaments in the given year. In August this
Van Persie keeps United on top

Nov 29, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Robin van Persie preserved Manchester United’s narrow lead in the Premier League with the quickest goal of the season, scoring after 32 seconds in a 1-0 victory over West Ham on Wednesday.Defending champion Manchester City remained a point behind its neighbor with a 2-0 victory at Wigan on goals by Mario Balotelli and James Milner, but Rafa Benitez’s tough start as interim Chelsea manager continued with a 0-0 home draw against Fulham.The point at least lifted Chelsea into third pla
Hiddink to quit coaching at season’s end

Nov 28, 2012

THE HAGUE (AFP) ― Dutch football coach Guus Hiddink will bring the curtain down on an illustrious, globetrotting, coaching career at the end of the current season, the Anzhi Makhachkala handler told Dutch TV on Tuesday.Hiddink has led both the Netherlands and South Korea to the World Cup semifinals, took Russia to a European Championships semifinal, and won the European Cup (now the Champions League) with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.“I’ve still got the energy and still get a real buzz each time I s
QPR ties Sunderland

Nov 28, 2012

Redknapp’s first game at Queens Park Rangers ends 0-0 at Sunderland
MLS chief: Beckham ‘overdelivered’

Nov 27, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― Don Garber says David Beckham did everything Major League Soccer asked of him to grow the sport in the United States during his 5 1/2 seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy.The 37-year-old former England captain plays his final competitive match for the Galaxy on Saturday in the MLS Cup against Houston.When Beckham left Real Madrid in 2007 to sign a $32.5 million, five-year deal with the Galaxy, Beckham said he wanted to win and increase the league’s popularity both domestically and
Police, FA look into anti-Semitic chants

Nov 27, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― English soccer faced another racism investigation after a Premier League match between Tottenham and West Ham was marred by anti-Semitic abuse by fans.West Ham pledged to impose lifetime bans after some of its supporters were heard Sunday making chants about Adolf Hitler and also praising Italian club Lazio after an apparent anti-Semitic stabbing of a Tottenham fan on Wednesday in Rome ahead of a Europa League match.“I was very disappointed to hear some of the songs yesterday and i
Chelsea, Man City battle to draw

Nov 26, 2012

Messi raises total for the year to 82 goals in Barca’s win
2014 World Cup mascot named Fuleco

Nov 26, 2012

Brazilians have voted to name the 2014 World Cup mascot Fuleco.FIFA says more than 1.7 million people in Brazil took part in the vote to select the name for the three-banded armadillo. The other options were Zuzeco and Amijubi.Fuleco comes from the Portuguese words “futebol” (football) and “ecologia” (ecology), and FIFA says it “seamlessly represents the way in which the FIFA World Cup can combine the two to encourage people to behave in an environmentally friendly way.”Football‘s governing body
United rallies to put away QPR

Nov 25, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United moved back into the Premier League lead, rallying at home to beat last-place Queens Park Rangers 3-1 and exposing the task facing new Hoops manager Harry Redknapp.With Redknapp was watching from the stands hours after replacing the fired Mark Hughes, Jamie Mackie put QPR (0-9-4) ahead in the 52nd minute. But Jonny Evans tied the score in the 64th, Darren Fletcher put United ahead four minutes later and Javier Hernandez scored in the 71st.United (10-3), which lost
Atletico Madrid, 12 others advance in Europa League

Nov 23, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Defending champion Atletico Madrid and 12 other teams advanced to the knockout stage in the Europa League on Thursday, while Liverpool must wait after conceding a stunning late equalizer to Young Boys.Raul Garcia scored early in Atletico’s 1-0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv, allowing the Spanish side to reach the last 32 from Group B with Viktoria Plzen.Napoli, Lazio and wealthy Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala were among the other sides to advance, leaving five qualifying places up fo
Fergie salutes ‘fantastic’ Park

Nov 23, 2012

MANCHESTER (AFP) ― Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has hailed QPR’s South Korea midfielder Park Ji-sung as “one of the best professionals” he has had during his 26-year reign at Old Trafford.Park left United in July to join QPR in a 2 million pounds deal which ended his seven-year spell at United, during which the South Korean won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, and three League Cups.The 31-year-old, who has missed the last four matches with a knee injury, may not recov