Injuries and inconsistent performances have proven costly for veterans of the South Korean World Cup squad, as they were left off the 23-man roster for the AFC Asian Cup announced on Monday.
Head coach Uli Stielike unveiled the squad for the Jan. 9-31 continental tournament at a press conference. Of the 23, 12 players had also represented the country at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June, when the country stumbled to a draw and two losses for a quick exit.
Stielike made a surprise selection on offense with Lee Jeong-hyeop, a little-known forward for the domestic club Sangju Sangmu, named as one of three forwards.
Left on the outside looking in was Park Chu-young, who has gone six matches without a goal for his Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab.
Park had a disastrous World Cup and was left without a club for a few months, before latching on to Al-Shabab in the fall. He had a decent start to his Middle East career but ultimately didn't get a chance to redeem himself.
Stielike said Park was the odd man out based on the team's strategic planning, since he and the coaches were seeking players who brought different skill sets to the table. Stielike singled out Lee as the team's target striker, something Park hasn't been throughout his career.
On defense, two players that appeared in each of South Korea's three matches at the World Cup were left off with assorted ailments.
Hong Jeong-ho of FC Augsburg is dealing with a foot injury, and Stielike said he's been ruled out for three weeks. He also sat out the German club's match last week.
Yun Suk-young of Queens Park Rangers had played on a regular basis before injuring his ankle in a match last weekend. Stielike said Yun had also been battling some back pains, and it wasn't clear when he'd recover.
"My philosophy in selecting players is that their health comes before everything else," Stielike said. "With QPR, Yun has been playing virtually every weekend and has had to go through treatment for pains during the week. We decided it was too much of a risk to pick a player who's not 100 percent, when we will be playing every three or four days."
Ulsan Hyundai forward Kim Shin-wook, who started South Korea's third group match against Belgium at the World Cup, had been nursing a leg injury since the Asian Games in September, and he was, as expected, not selected for the Asian Cup.
Stielike insisted that he made his choices solely based on the players' health and form.
"I haven't had any problem with our players' work ethic and their approach to practices and matches," the coach said. "I haven't excluded anyone based on their attitude." (Yonhap)
