Daegu FC coach seeks balanced attack after Brazilian stars save day

Daegu FC leaned on their Brazilian attacking duo of Cesinha and Edgar to survive a tough playoff match against a second-division foe and secure a spot in the top league for next year. And Daegu's head coach Park Chang-hyun believes overreliance on the tandem is not a sustainable formula for success. Daegu defeated Chungnam Asan FC 6-5 in the aggregate score in their two-legged K League promotion-relegation playoff. After dropping the opening leg 4-3 last Thursday, Daegu prevailed 3-1 in the

Dec. 2, 2024

Daegu FC to stay in K League 1 after beating Chungnam Asan in playoff

Daegu FC will stay in the top South Korean football league next year after narrowly winning a playoff against a second-division opponent Sunday. Lee Chan-dong scored in extra time for Daegu, after the Brazilian attackers Cesinha and Edgar had a goal apiece for a 3-1 victory over 10-man Chungnam Asan FC in the second leg of the K League promotion-relegation playoff at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, 235 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Chungnam Asan had won the opening leg 4-3 on Thursday but Daegu c

Dec. 1, 2024

Ulsan goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo voted 2024 K League 1 MVP

Ulsan HD FC goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo has been voted the MVP of the top South Korean football league in 2024. Jo beat out Anderson Oliveira of Suwon FC and Yang Min-hyeok of Gangwon FC for the top individual award in the K League 1 on Friday. Jo earned 75 out of 116 votes from the media, eight out of 12 votes from K League 1 head coaches, and seven out of 12 votes from club captains. Those totals were converted to 63.36 points, with Anderson Oliveira finishing a distant second with 20.26 points. Y

Nov. 29, 2024

Gangwon's teen phenom Yang Min-hyeok voted top rookie in 2024 K League 1 season

Gangwon FC's teen sensation Yang Min-hyeok was named the best rookie in the top South Korean football league on Friday. Yang, 18, topped the voting for the Young Player of the Year honor in the K League 1, holding off Hwang Jae-won of Daegu FC and Hong Yun-sang of Pohang Steelers. Yang collected 115 out of 116 votes from the media, 11 out of 12 votes from the league's head coaches, and 10 out of 12 votes from team captains. Those voting totals were converted to 92.16 voting points. Pla

Nov. 29, 2024

S. Korea drop 1 spot to No. 23 in latest FIFA rankings

South Korea dropped a spot to No. 23 in the latest FIFA men's rankings released on Friday. According to FIFA, South Korea fell to No. 23 with 1,585.45 points, down from 1,589.93 points. South Korea had a win and a draw in their two most recent matches, beating Kuwait 3-1 on Nov. 14 but being held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Palestine on Nov. 19 in the Asian qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Palestine were ranked 100th then and they, too, slipped a spot to 101st. South Korea w

Nov. 29, 2024

Son Heung-min scores penalty in Europa League draw vs. Roma

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has scored his first continental goal of the season, doing so in a draw versus AS Roma in London in the UEFA Europa League. Son opened the scoring for Spurs with a penalty goal in the fifth minute in the league phase match of the second-tier competition at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Thursday. After Evan N'Dicka equalized for Roma in the 20th minute, Brennan Johnson gave Spurs a 2-1 lead in the 33rd minute. However, Tottenham settled for a draw

Nov. 29, 2024

Kim Min-jae scores for Bayern in Champions League win over Lee Kang-in's PSG

In a first UEFA Champions League showdown between South Korean players in 13 years, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich scored his first continental goal against Paris Saint-Germain, featuring countryman Lee Kang-in. The rare goal by the South Korean center back proved decisive as Bayern defeated PSG 1-0 at Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday during the league phase of the top European club competition. With their second victory of the competition, Bayern improved to six points, ranking 19th among 36 co

Nov. 27, 2024

Ulsan chasing domestic double, Pohang going for 2nd straight title at top natl. football tournament

Deuces will be wild in the final of the top national football tournament at the end of November, when two regional rivals in the top-flight K League 1 will clash for supremacy. Ulsan HD FC and Pohang Steelers will square off in the one-and-done final of the Korea Cup tournament at 3 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Ulsan will go for a domestic double, having clinched the K League 1 title earlier this month with two matches left on the season. It would be their second Korea Cup. Pohang

Nov. 21, 2024

With tumultuous year done, natl. football team players want to make fans happy in 2025

What has been a roller coaster of a year for the South Korean men's national team ended Tuesday night in Jordan, where the 22nd-ranked team settled for a 1-1 draw against world No. 100 Palestine in a World Cup qualifying match. It was South Korea's sixth Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers and also their last international match of 2024. It closed the book on one of the most tumultuous years in South Korean football in recent memory, a season that feature

Nov. 20, 2024

Despite draw vs. Palestine, S. Korea poised for World Cup berth past halfway point in qualifiers

South Korea passed the halfway point in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification tournament on Tuesday in Jordan the same way they started it two months ago: a draw against Palestine. With four matches remaining, the Taegeuk Warriors are still comfortably leading Group B with 14 points from four wins and two draws, six clear of Jordan and Iraq before the end of their matches Tuesday, despite some lingering lineup questions. The top two teams from the group at the conclusion of the ro

Nov. 20, 2024

S. Korea held by Palestine as winning streak ends in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine on Tuesday as their winning streak in the Asian World Cup qualifiers came to an end at four. Captain Son Heung-min netted the equalizer for 22nd-ranked South Korea in the 16th minute, four minutes after Palestine, world No. 100, had scored first at Amman International Stadium in Amman in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was Son's 51st international goal, giving him sol

Nov. 20, 2024

S. Korea held by Palestine as winning streak ends in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine on Tuesday as their winning streak in the Asian World Cup qualifiers came to an end at four. Captain Son Heung-min netted the equalizer in the 16th minute, four minutes after Palestine had scored first at Amman International Stadium in Amman in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was Son's 51st international goal, giving him sole possession of second place on South Korea&

Nov. 20, 2024

Riding high, S. Korea looking to stretch winning streak vs. Palestine

It was barely two months ago that South Korea were held to a goalless draw by underdogs Palestine to begin the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Boos rained down from disgruntled fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 5, some voicing their displeasure with the controversial hiring of Hong Myung-bo as head coach, and others letting their feelings known about the team's lackluster showing. Defender Kim Min-jae even argued with some fans in the stands after

Nov. 17, 2024

Coach Hong cites single-minded focus as key to success in World Cup qualifying

South Korea men's football head coach Hong Myung-bo took the reins in July under less-than-ideal circumstances, dogged by criticism of an unfair hiring process by the Korea Football Association. He was booed lustily by home fans before, during and after his first match, a World Cup qualifier against Palestine on Sept. 5 in Seoul. That the match ended in a goalless draw only added fuel to the fire. With each passing match, though, Hong has gradually come to be viewed in a different light. Bo

Nov. 15, 2024

Sonny scores in return as S. Korea beat Kuwait for 4th consecutive win in World Cup qualifying

Captain Son Heung-min marked his international return with a goal, as South Korea defeated Kuwait 3-1 for their fourth consecutive victory in the ongoing World Cup qualification round in Kuwait City on Thursday. Son converted a penalty that he had drawn himself at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium during the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was Son's 50th international goal, which put him in a tie for second place on

Nov. 15, 2024

S. Korea coach not decided on Sonny's availability in World Cup qualifier vs. Kuwait

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he has not yet decided whether captain Son Heung-min will play against Kuwait in the upcoming World Cup qualifying match, with the Tottenham Hotspur talisman coming off a long injury layoff. South Korea, world No. 22, will face 135th-ranked Kuwait in their fifth Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. The contest kicks off at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait C

Nov. 13, 2024

With Sonny back, S. Korea chasing 4th consecutive win in World Cup qualification

With their longtime captain Son Heung-min back from injury, South Korea will chase their fourth consecutive victory in the ongoing World Cup qualification tournament this week against Kuwait. South Korea, world No. 22, will visit 135th-ranked Kuwait at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City at 5 p.m. Thursday local time, or 11 p.m. the same night in Seoul. It will be the fifth Group B match for both nations in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. S

Nov. 12, 2024

FIFA President Infantino visits KFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid a visit to the headquarters of the Korea Football Association in Seoul on Monday. Infantino arrived in South Korea earlier Monday to attend the Asian Football Confederation Annual Awards, scheduled to take place in Seoul on Tuesday evening. The KFA said this was Infantino's first visit to its office since 2017, when South Korea hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Infantino met with KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and other KFA officials. He was briefed on the c

Oct. 28, 2024

Legends defy time in friendly match in Seoul

It was a scene more fitting for a classic video game or a daydream than on the actual field: Thierry Henry crossing to Andrei Shevchenko, Alessandro Del Piero dribbling past Fabio Cannavaro before being thwarted by Carles Puyol. But these weren’t pixelated figures on a screen; they were real, flesh-and-blood legends playing in front of some 64,210 fans in Seoul, on Sunday. The Nexon Icons Match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, northwestern Seoul, brought together dozens of the bi

Oct. 21, 2024

Son Heung-min's father ordered to pay fine for child abuse

Son Woong-jung, a football coach and father of Premier League star Son Heung-min, was ordered by a local court Friday to pay a fine over charges of abusing young players at his football training center. The Chuncheon District Court in Chuncheon, some 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, ordered Son Woong-jung, his son Son Heung-yun and another coach at Son Football Academy to each pay 3 million won (US$2,220) in fine. All three were also asked to complete 40 hours of child abuse treatment programs.

Oct. 11, 2024