The Korea Herald

Spain downs Serbia ahead of Euro

May 27, 2012

Hodgson’s England reign starts with win at NorwayLONDON (AP) ― With the European Championship less than two weeks away, Spain showed it is in good shape to defend the title by beating Serbia 2-0 in its first warmup game on Saturday.It wasn’t such a successful night for two more of the continent’s heavyweight sides, however, with a Germany team missing its Bayern Munich stars losing 5-3 in Switzerland and the Netherlands losing 2-1 to Bulgaria.Germany and the Netherlands are in the same Euro 2012
Beckham pay cut nearly 40 percent

May 26, 2012

David Beckham is no longer Major League Soccer's highest-paid player after his salary was cut nearly 40 percent in his new contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.The former England captain has a base salary of $3 million this year and guaranteed compensation of $4 million, according to figures released on Friday by the MLS Players Union. His previous base salary had been $5.5 million with total annu
Elephant and pig tapped to predict Euro 2012 games

May 24, 2012

Who's going to win the European Championship? Time to ask an elephant -- or a pig.Poland's answer to Paul the Octopus -- the tentacled tipster who gained worldwide fame for his 2010 World Cup predictions -- is Citta the elephant. Ukraine, however, will probably go for an enormous beer-loving pig -- but there are big doubts about whether he can handle the media glare.The parade of supposedly psych
Turkish club eyes Park Ji-sung

May 23, 2012

A Turkish football club is looking to pick up Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, sparking a media frenzy here.Fotomac, a Turkish sports daily, reported that Galatasaray S.K. was looking to import Park and even disclosed specific numbers.According to the paper, the Turkish champions were ready to offer Park a one-time payment of 3.5 million euros ($4.4 million) with a salary of 2.7 million euros per year. The report stated that Kia Motors was sponsoring the hire to help promote Kia in the
Didier Drogba leaving Chelsea

May 23, 2012

LONDON (Reuters) ― Didier Drogba brought down the curtain on a trophy-laden career at Chelsea on Tuesday when he announced he would be leaving the club after eight years in West London.The Ivory Coast striker will leave when his contract expires at the end of June and is now odds-on to follow his former teammate Nicolas Anelka to China.He leaves the club on a high after a starring role in Saturday’s Champions League final when he scored an emphatic equalizer before coolly slotting home the decis
FIFA prepares to pick anti-corruption officials

May 22, 2012

BUDAPEST (AP) ― Tackling corruption in soccer will again top FIFA’s agenda when the 208 members meet this week for a congress that will also see the first woman appointed to the governing body’s executive committee.Continuing FIFA’s efforts to restore its battered image after a series of corruption scandals, FIFA will announce Tuesday which independent officials will be brought in from outside the “football family” to spearhead new ethics and audit committees that are seen as key vehicles for ge
Chelsea eyes future as champ

May 21, 2012

MUNICH (AP) ― Chelsea can plan its future from an unexpected position of strength as champion of Europe following its dramatic upset of Bayern Munich.Roman Abramovich has the Champions League trophy he had craved since buying the club in 2003 and a place in next season’s competition, which is key to the team’s business plan and status among Europe’s elite teams.Now the Russian billionaire and his advisers must decide if Chelsea’s immediate future includes new contracts for inspirational interim
Park Ji-sung shows love for hometown team

May 20, 2012

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung appeared at a Suwon K-League game on Sunday for the first time since going abroad to play in Europe.The Korean football star graced the field of his hometown team Suwon Samsung at the Big Bird Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. In Sunday’s game, Suwon Samsung beat Ulsan Hyundai 2-1, with midfielder Everton Cardoso scoring the winner in the 87th minute. To celebrate “Show Suwon Love With Park Ji-sung Day,“ the Bluewings held a variety of events includi
Cristiano Ronaldo claims he’s better than Messi

May 18, 2012

Real Madrid’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo boldly claimed in a CNN interview Thursday that he is better than his archrival Lionel Messi of Barcelona.“Some people say I’m better, other people say it’s him…At the moment, I think it is me,” said Ronaldo.Scoring a career-high 46 goals in the Spanish league and leading his team to the Spanish championship, the Portuguese soccer superstar finished arguably the best season of his career.But many people still consider Messi the best soccer player alive.
Park Chu-young out of World Cup qualifiers

May 17, 2012

Korean striker Park Chu-young will not play for the Korean national team in the opening qualifying matches for the 2014 Brazil World Cup.At a ceremony Thursday in which the team’s new uniform was unveiled, national team coach Choi Kang-hee announced the lineup for the first and second round qualifying matches, from which Park’s name was absent.Park has recently been at the center of criticism for delaying his compulsory military service. Choi said that he would give Park a chance to address the
Korean clubs look to retake AFC throne

May 17, 2012

Two Korean football clubs are eying to take back the Asian Football Confederation Champions League title as they advance to the final 16 stage.Seongnam Ilhwa and Ulsan Hyundai topped their groups to take No. 1 seeds and a home field advantage.Seongnam is one of Korea’s most successful football clubs with seven K-League titles, two FA cup titles and two AFC titles. And true to their reputation, Seongnam beat China’s Tianjin Teda 3-0 on Tuesday. Despite ending the majority of its matches in draws,
Korean clubs look to retake AFC throne

May 17, 2012

Two Korean football clubs are eying to take back the Asian Football Confederation Champions League title as they advance to the final 16.Seongnam Ilhwa and Ulsan Hyundai topped their groups to take No. 1 seeds and a home field advantage.Seongnam is one of Korea’s most successful football clubs with seven K-League titles, two FA cup titles and two AFC titles. And true to their reputation, Seongnam beat China’s Tianjin Teda 3-0 on Tuesday. Despite ending the majority of its matches in draws, Seong
Half of 2014 World Cup stadiums a concern

May 16, 2012

SAO PAULO (AFP) ― Football’s world governing body FIFA believes that six of 12 Brazilian stadiums that are to host the 2014 World Cup may not be ready in time, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo reported Tuesday.The paper cited a study by a FIFA consultant on the stadium construction or renovation program pointing to various degrees “of risk” for arenas in Manaus, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre, Curitiba and Sao Paulo.But the biggest concern is for the stadium in the northeastern city of Natal because of a “tig
S. Korea FA renews Eninho citizenship bid

May 15, 2012

South Korean football chiefs said Tuesday they had renewed an attempt to have Brazilian midfielder Eninho of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors granted South Korean citizenship as part of World Cup preparations.The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it sent a formal request to the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) which rules on major decisions concerning sport.Last week the KOC rejected a request for the play
Thousands attend City victory parade

May 15, 2012

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― In a city more accustomed to a sea of red during title celebrations, blue confetti fell over the streets.Manchester City paraded the Premier League trophy before about 100,000 fans Monday in celebration of its first English title in 44 years. Blue and white ticker-tape and streamers rained down on the team bus as City players displayed the trophy they had wrested from crosstown rival Manchester United a day earlier.Fans climbed lampposts and jostled for position on roo