Bert van Marwijk, a former Dutch national head coach, has shown an interest in managing the South Korean men’s senior football team, the sport’s local technical director said Thursday.“Though we have no results to report at the moment, we did confirm van Marwijk’s interest in becoming the next head coach of our men’s senior football team,” Lee Yong-soo, the head of the technical committee at the Korea Football Association, said at a press conference in Seoul.Earlier this week, Lee, who was named

Soccer Aug. 7, 2014

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― Mario Goetze lived up to the billing of being Germany’s wunderkind by scoring the goal that ensured Germany became the first European team to win the World Cup title in South America.Goetze came off the bench in the 88th minute and netted the winner in the 113th minute of the final against Argentina with a perfectly taken volley.Andre Schuerrle, another substitute, broke away down the left flank, outstripped tiring Argentine defenders and sent a cross into the penalty area.

Soccer July 14, 2014

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Germany is not simply coming to the World Cup final off the biggest semifinal victory in World Cup history. Coach Joachim Low said Sunday’s final against Argentina was not even the biggest challenge that he has faced in his career. German football has been working up to this day for a decade, and Low is not afraid.“I have no fear whatsoever because I know it is going to be a match between two teams who have had fascinating duels in the past,” he said on Saturday at Maracana Sta

Soccer July 13, 2014

Haris Seferovic scored in the last minute of injury time to grab Switzerland a dramatic 2-1 win over Ecuador in their Group E game at the World Cup finals in Brasilia on Sunday.Seferovic's winner capped a remarkable comeback by the top seeds in the group as fellow substitute Admer Mehmidi had taken just 121 seconds to make his mark as he levelled the game in the 48th minute. (AP-Yonhap)Enner Valencia had given Ecuador the lead midway through the first-half as he scored for the fifth successive g

Soccer June 16, 2014

FOZ DO IGUACU, Brazil (Yonhap) ― South Korean defensive back Hong Jeong-ho, who recently came down with a bruised foot, has been cleared by team doctors to play and is doing relatively well physically.It’s the mental block that needs to be cleared, the 24-year-old said Wednesday.“When I try to make quick turns, I become conscious of the pain, and I can’t make plays I normally do because of that,” Hong said after he and his teammates held their first practice at their World Cup base camp in Foz d

Soccer June 12, 2014

South Korean defensive back Hong Jeong-ho, who recently came down with a bruised foot, has been cleared by team doctors to play and is doing relatively well physically.It's the mental block that needs to be cleared, the 24-year-old said Wednesday."When I try to make quick turns, I become conscious of pain, and I can't make plays I normally do because of that," Hong said, after he and his teammates held their first practice at their World Cup base camp in Foz do Iguacu in southern Brazil. (Yonhap

Soccer June 12, 2014

The following is a contribution by Aamir Nazir Gondal, the commercial counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in South Korea, in anticipation of the start of the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil on June 12. ― Ed.Pakistan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup but it has not been so victorious in soccer. Ranked 159th by FIFA, the South Asian nation will not be among the 32 teams vying for glory at the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil from June 12.But Pakistan will make a strong presence as a key supplier of the of

Foreign Affairs June 8, 2014

Leverkusen’s Son Heung-min celebrates with fans after the team’s match on Saturday. ( AFP-Yonhap)BERLIN (AP) ― Nuremberg and Eintracht Braunschweig were relegated on the final day of the Bundesliga season Saturday, while Bayer Leverkusen clinched the last Champions League qualification place.Leverkusen came from behind to beat Werder Bremen 2-1 and secure fourth place immediately above Wolfsburg, which beat sixth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1. “We knew we had to win,” Leverkusen striker E

Soccer May 11, 2014

South Korea announced a youthful squad for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil on Thursday, with few surprises among the 23 players who will take part in soccer’s grandest extravaganza.Head coach Hong Myung-bo unveiled the roster at the National Football Center here in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul. Hong had repeatedly said he would not make surprises for the big tournament, and mostly lived up to his words, with the majority of the players having seen plenty of action under Hong sinc

Soccer May 8, 2014

One South Korean World Cup hopeful after another has come down with injuries in recent weeks, a worrisome development that could potentially disrupt the country’s preparation for the summer’s big tournament.When head coach Hong Myung-bo announces his 23-man roster for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil on Thursday, as many as five players could remain on the mend.Sunderland midfielder Ki Sung-yueng became the latest to join the growing infirmary list on Tuesday. He returned home from his English club

Soccer May 7, 2014

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) ― Liverpool took command of the captivating Premier League title race by beating Manchester City 3-2 in a match of wide-ranging emotions at Anfield, although the destiny of the trophy is also in Chelsea’s hands after its win at Swansea on Sunday.Liverpool is two points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League, while Atletico leads La Liga by three points over Real Madrid following a 2-1 win at Getafe.Philippe Coutinho scored in the 78th minute to help Liverpool become the f

Soccer April 14, 2014