S. Korea gets hero's welcome after runner-up finish

The South Korean men's national football team received a hero's welcome on Sunday upon returning home from the AFC Asian Cup in Australia, where it posted the country's best result in nearly three decades.

Coached by Uli Stielike, South Korea finished second to Australia in the quadrennial continental competition. In the taut final on Saturday in Sydney, Australia prevailed 2-1 thanks to an extra-time score by James Troisi.

South Korea trailed 1-0 with about a minute left in regulation when Son Heung-min scored a dramatic equalizer to send the contest into extra time. The Socceroos, though, proved too much for the South Koreans, who couldn't end the country's 55-year title drought and instead settled for its best Asian Cup finish since 1988.

Stielike was joined by 17 players from his original 23-man roster. Two players, Lee Chung-yong and Koo Ja-cheol, left the team during the tournament with injuries. Midfielders Nam Tae-hee of Lekhwiya SC and Lee Myung-joo of Al Ain joined their pro clubs in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, respectively, after the conclusion of the Asian Cup.

Goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong flew from Australia to Spain to join his South Korean club Suwon for the offseason camp, while midfielder Han Kyo-won traveled to Dubai to join Jeonbuk, the reigning South Korean champ, for the training camp.

The scene at Incheon International Airport was in stark contrast to the cold reception given to the national team that competed at the FIFA World Cup last summer. Angry fans hurled candies at the players who arrived back from Brazil with one draw and two losses, the country's first winless exit from group stage since 1998.

On Sunday, hundreds of fans crowded the airport hoping to get a glimpse of their football heroes, and flower bouquets replaced candies this time.

Stielike, who took over the South Korean team in October, thanked the fans for the warm welcome, saying the players needed such a reception after what they experienced in the aftermath of the World Cup.

He also said he was glad he'd kept his promise that the team would do the best it could.

"I couldn't promise a championship because I felt there would be a lot of variables over the course of the tournament," he said. "But I did say we would all do our best for the country. Our players showed their pride of representing the country on the field."

Next up for Stielike will be the qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. South Korea will play a couple of friendlies at home in March and the qualification will begin in June.

"We just have to prepare for it the way we have all along and take one step at a time," the coach said. "We've learned a lot from the Asian Cup and recognized what we need to improve. We just have to do a little bit of tweaking. We're not going to be content with our Asian Cup result."

Stielike won over hard-to-please fans in South Korea with his tactical flexibility and his no-nonsense approach. He gave credit to the players, who "did their jobs in difficult circumstances."

The coach noted that the players have grown more aggressive compared to their pre-Asian Cup days.

"The players are now applying more pressure up front, and that's what I wanted to see all along," he said. "We need to make more technical improvements. We couldn't capitalize on scoring chances even when we had an edge in ball possession."

Son Heung-min, the team's leading scorer with three goals, echoed his coach's sentiment that South Korea still has its work cut out.

"The World Cup qualification will start soon, and we must realize there is no easy opponent in Asia," he said. "If we don't put everything into every match, we may not qualify for the World Cup. Finishing second at the Asian Cup doesn't mean much."

Though Son has earned well-deserved kudos for his performance, he said losing the final in extra time still gnawed at him.

"I was so crushed that we finished second, because I went to Australia to win the championship," he added. "I know the fans appreciated our efforts and we did a lot of good things on the field. Still, it would have been better if we'd won the title." (Yonhap)