The Korea Herald

The Korean job

Mar 6, 2012

Choi says he’ll leave national team after 2014 World Cup qualifyingIt’s been less than three months since Choi Kang-hee became the new national soccer team manager. But he is enjoying the most successful part of his 10-year management career after saving Korea from being knocked out of the Asian qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup.Choi, however, indicated Monday that he knows his job is only temporary. His appointment in December came amid a series of troubles in the national team. Korea suf
Hong sets sights on soccer medal at Olympics

Mar 5, 2012

Now that South Korea has qualified for men’s football at the London Olympics this summer, Hong Myung-bo, the Olympic team’s head coach, has set his sights on the next goal: to win an Olympic medal.Hong has coached South Korea to the London Olympics, the country’s seventh straight Olympic Games and ninth overall. But South Korea has never won an Olympic medal in men’s football.The coach said the key will be to try to learn from the past.“Winning a medal at the Olympics is not easy at all,” said H
United dashes Tottenham’s title hopes

Mar 5, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United all but turned the Premier League into a two-team race Sunday by winning 3-1 at Tottenham and ending the host team’s title hopes. Chelsea, in fifth place and in danger of not qualifying for the Champions League, fired manager Andre Villas-Boas.Clint Dempsey, fresh off his goal that gave the U.S. a 1-0 exhibition victory over against Italy, scored twice to lead Fulham to a 5-0 rout of relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers. With his fourth multigoal game of
Chelsea falls as Arsenal boosts hopes

Mar 4, 2012

Celtic’s 20-match winning streak endsLONDON (AP) ― Chelsea lost to West Bromwich Albion for the first time since 1979 on Saturday when a 1-0 defeat left the Premier League powerhouse in danger of missing out on next season’s Champions League.Gareth McAuley’s 82nd-minute goal and Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win at Liverpool left Chelsea three points behind fourth place with one win in its last seven away matches.“It was very poor in all senses of the word ― in the first half and the second half,” coac
Korea beats Kuwait to advance to final round of 2014 WC qualifying

Mar 1, 2012

South Korea advanced to the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup with a 2-0 win over visiting Kuwait at Seoul World Cup stadium on Wednesday.Striker Lee Dong-gook scored the opener in the second half before Lee Keun-ho doubled the lead to ensure manager Choi Kang-hee’s second victory since his appointment.Choi, who took the helm of the Taegeuk Warriors in December, praised his players after the game, noting: “It was a difficult game, but the players worked hard out there.”B
S. Korea beats Kuwait, reaches next round in World Cup qualification

Feb 29, 2012

(Yonhap News)South Korea will live to see another day of football.South Korea defeated Kuwait 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match at Seoul World Cup Stadium Wednesday, powered by two second-half scores.With the win, South Korea advanced to the fourth and the final round of the Asian qualifying round
Lee Dong-gook ready to lead Korea frontline

Feb 28, 2012

South Korea coach Choi Kang-hee insists two-time K-League MVP Lee Dong-gook can lead the Taeguk Warriors to progress to the fourth round of World Cup qualifying when it takes on Kuwait on Wednesday.The Koreans must avoid defeat against Kuwait in Seoul on Wednesday to seal their passage and Choi said Jeonbuk striker Lee proved he could lead the line after his double in Saturday’s 4-2 friendly win over Uzbekistan.The 32-year-old, who won the 2011 K-League MVP award, had not played for Korea since
New K-League season set to kick off Sat.

Feb 27, 2012

The 2012 season in the country’s top soccer league kicks off on Saturday with 16 teams due to play a total of 352 games. The K-League had a troubled season last year, marred by a massive match-fixing scam with dozens of players indicted in the unprecedented scandal.For this season, the league governing body has made some major changes to root out corruption in its league. One of the major changes is a new promotion-relegation system being introduced starting this year. According to the new “spli
Liverpool wins League Cup on penalty kicks

Feb 27, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Liverpool won its first trophy in six years Sunday, beating second-tier Cardiff 3-2 in a penalty shootout to capture the League Cup while Manchester United kept the Premier League title race bubbling with a last-gasp victory.It was a bittersweet day for Liverpool captain Steve Gerrard, who collected the club’s eighth League Cup title after cousin Anthony Gerrard missed the decisive penalty kick for Cardiff at Wembley Stadium.“It’s always cruel when it comes to penalties,” Steven Ge
Korea beats Uzbekistan

Feb 26, 2012

South Korea on Saturday beat Uzbekistan 4-2 in a football friendly, a tune-up match before a crucial World Cup qualifier next week.At Jeonju World Cup Stadium, about 240 kilometers south of Seoul, forward Lee Dong-gook and midfielder Kim Chi-woo each scored twice, as South Korea fended off a late Uzbek charge.Lee Dong-gook, the reigning MVP of the domestic K-League, opened the scoring for the home team in the 18th minute. After taking a pass near the penalty spot with his back to the net, Lee tu
City tightens grip on EPL lead

Feb 26, 2012

Augsburg rolls to 3-0 victory in BundesligaLONDON (AP) ― Manchester City tightened its grip on top spot in the English Premier League on Saturday by registering a 13th straight home victory, easing past Blackburn 3-0.City barely broke into a sweat at fortress Etihad Stadium to move provisionally five points clear of Manchester United, with Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko scoring in a routine victory.United States defender Tim Ream made his league debut for Bolton at Chelsea but cou
South Korea downs Uzbekistan in friendly

Feb 25, 2012

JEONJU (AP)--Lee Dong-gook scored the first two goals to set up South Korea's 4-2 win over Uzbekistan in Saturday's friendly game as both teams prepare for World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday.Former English Premier League striker Lee put the hosts in command at Jeonju World Cup Stadium and Kim Chi-woo
United loses in Europa but moves on

Feb 24, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United advanced to the next round of the Europa League on Thursday despite losing its first ever home game in the competition 2-1 to Ajax.Javier Hernandez stretched United’s 2-0 first-leg advantage in the sixth minute before Aras Ozbiliz made it 1-1 on the night 31 minutes later. Toby Alderweireld scored with three minutes left but Ajax could do no more than scare United, which is in the second-tier tournament after it was eliminated from the Champions League group stage
KFA awards W560m to soccer team

Feb 24, 2012

The Korea Football Association announced Thursday that it would give a total of 560 million won ($498,000) in prize money to Korea’s U23 soccer team, which qualified for a seventh consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.Korea won a berth for London 2012 after securing an unassailable four-point lead over second-place Oman in the Asian qualifying round with a 3-0 win over the Middle East side on Wednesday.Manager Hong Myung-bo will receive 30 million won and Kim Tae-young and another two co
Basel extends Champions League run

Feb 23, 2012

Basel keeps upsetting some of European soccer’s biggest powers.Substitute Valentin Stocker scored in the 86th minute, giving the Swiss team a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League’s second round.In the group stage, Basel tied Manchester United at Old Trafford, then defeated the Red Devils to eliminate the three-time champions,“We have beaten possibly two of the best teams in the world,” Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer said.Marseille also scored late