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Neil
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Location: Tokyo
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 Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 1:52 pm Post subject: Soccer in Korea |
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Hello, I've a few questions about professional soccer in Korea.
What is structure of the league and who are the major teams?
How much does it cost to watch a league match?
What are the crowds like and is there a professional team I can watch on the East Coast?
Where do the national team play, how regular are their home matches and what are the availability and cost of tickets?
Is soccer (either Korean or Western) shown much on Korean TV and what is the likelihood of Euro 2004 getting decent coverage on TV?
A lot of questions I know but I'd be grateful for any answers.
Cheers. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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There's plenty of European football on Korean T.V. spread over at least five different channels, including regular coverage of the leagues in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands (especially of teams with Korean players) and the major games of the Champions league.
So it'd be surprising if Euro 2004 wasn't covered somewhere on the dial. I don't know how you find out about listings but you could surf the stations at about game time. |
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Holyjoe
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: Away for a cuppa
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Soccer in Korea |
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| Neil wrote: |
Hello, I've a few questions about professional soccer in Korea.
What is structure of the league and who are the major teams? |
OK, I'll try my best to answer this question but it's a toughie..
Basically the structure of the league changes almost every season - in 2002 there were 10 teams so they played each other 3 times (27 games). Last season they expanded to 12 so they played each other 4 times (44 games). This season there will be 13 teams (maybe 14...) so at the moment the plan is to play each other 2 times (26 games).
However, because Seongnam ran away with the title last year, they're considering implementing a 2-part championship similar with the J-league, where the winners of each half (12 games per half, ie play each other once) play off for the title.
Major teams are:
Seongnam - reigning champions for the past 3 years.
Ulsan - runners-up for the past 2 years
Suwon - 3rd for the past 2 years, and most successful Korean club in Asian competitions.
Anyang - slightly underachieving in recent years
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| How much does it cost to watch a league match? |
The most you'll pay for a ticket is 10,000 won. In general you'll get a seat for 6k - can't argue with that!
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| What are the crowds like and is there a professional team I can watch on the East Coast? |
Crowds are on a par with English 1st Division sides, but to be honest they're rather poor given the size of the country.
For example, Busan Icons play in Korea's 2nd biggest city of over 3,000,000 people but last season averaged a whopping 2,702 fans.
Team averages and city population in brackets for 2003 season.
1 Daejeon 19,082...(1,423,000)
2 Cheonbuk 12,692...(555,000)
3 Suwon 11,864...(957,000)
4 Anyang 10,126...(748,000)
5 Daegu 9,807...(2,369,000)
6 Ulsan 8,426...(838,000)
7 Cheonnam 7,746...(571,000)
8 Seongnam 7,682...(1,111,000)
9 Pohang 7,231...(408,000)
10 Gwangju 5,777...(1,406,000)
11 Bucheon 5,588...(987,000)
12 Busan 2,752...(3,504,000)
The closest team for you on the east coast will probably be Pohang. Daegu and Daejeon won't be too far away. Gwangju are the army team, and Cheonbuk/Cheonnam might be within traveling distance.
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| Where do the national team play, how regular are their home matches and what are the availability and cost of tickets? |
The national team play almost all their matches at the Sang-Am World Cup stadium in Seoul.
Now they average about 40-45k for international friendlies (is their recent games against Uruguay & Bulgaria), but when the "big" teams come to town (Argentina, Brazil, Japan games) then the games tend to sell out - you'd need to buy in advance.
Last year they played 5 friendlies (1 in Busan) and 3 Asian Cup qualifiers (in Incheon). With the Olympic Games in Greece and the Asian Cup in China this year they might not play so many games in Korea.
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| Is soccer (either Korean or Western) shown much on Korean TV and what is the likelihood of Euro 2004 getting decent coverage on TV? |
Every PSV Eindhoven game is broadcast live on one of the Korean channels, but I can't remember which. MBC ESPN shows 1 live English Premiership game every Saturday night. They also show a few other Dutch league games too, along with Brazilian and Argentine football. One or two Champions League games are broadcast live each week they're played.
The K-league is pretty poorly covered compared to the almost blanket coverage of Korean basketball and baseball.
I would expect that almost every Euro 2004 game would be shown on Korean TV, though the games will mostly be kicking off in the wee hours of the morning here.
I hope this helps! |
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Neil
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Many thanks that's a great help.
Just looking for someone to replace my weekly Crystal Palace fix once I arrive, with the cheap cost of tickets there should be plenty of scope. |
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Holyjoe
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: Away for a cuppa
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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If you're really interested in the K-league then head on over to this messageboard.
It's called the "Busan Icons Supporters Club Board" but it's essentially a general K-league one - we just need to get shot of the Busan insignia  |
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ratslash
Joined: 08 May 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 7:32 pm Post subject: Re: Soccer in Korea |
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| Holyjoe wrote: |
One or two Champions League games are broadcast live each week they're played.
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also, they show lots of champion league replays, usually one a day i think, but you need to buy the cable package that has mbc espn to watch them. i think it is a cable package anyway? |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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I'm pretty sure come Euro 2004 that it will be covered on Star Sports. i hope so.
BTW...where is the Gyeongnam team????. With Changwon/masan/jinhae(1.5 million) to draw upon and 2 30 000 seater staduims i can't see why not. geez, Gwangyang(Cheollnam) got a team. Just move Busans team out to Changwon. If you think I'm foolish check the KBL(Korean Basketball) attendances.
Busan averages a touch under 1500 a game where as Changwon averages over 5000(it would be more but the stadium regularly sells out). Come on KFA!!!!! |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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It amuses me that koreans suddenly think they're the best in the world at soccer, like they've been playing it for centuries and know everything about the game. I asked my boss i'f he used to play soccer at school, he replied proudly "of course! All koreans can play soccer!!"
As if...their world cup success was a fluke thanks to a European coach. My kids can't even kick a ball, and they have only one song to sing at matches "Be the reds'.. Puleeeeaaasse!
Its all dood fun though I guess! |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| i thought they did not to bad. look we all know it was a fluke but congrats to them. what the KFA has failed to do is build on their success. in my opinion qualifiaction for Germany will be difficult for them With 4 and a half spots. i think Japan, China, Iran and saudi are ahead of them. |
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IconsFanatic
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 4:07 am Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
| BTW...where is the Gyeongnam team???? |
Ulsan?
| just because wrote: |
| With Changwon/masan/jinhae(1.5 million) to draw upon and 2 30 000 seater staduims i can't see why not. geez, Gwangyang(Cheollnam) got a team. Just move Busans team out to Changwon. |
Shudder. Move a team? Let me guess, you're from a country where footie isn't popular (and by "footie" I don't mean the egg-chasing version)?
I fully agree that smaller cities should get clubs ('cause the poor hicks have nothing else better to do), but let's not be pulling a Korean version of Wimbledon FC and be uprooting clubs, alrighty?
Last edited by IconsFanatic on Thu Jan 15, 2004 4:39 am; edited 1 time in total |
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IconsFanatic
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 4:09 am Post subject: Re: Soccer in Korea |
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| Holyjoe wrote: |
| Every PSV Eindhoven game is broadcast live on one of the Korean channels, but I can't remember which. |
It believe it's iTV, based in Incheon. They have a fast, live video feed over the internet. |
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Holyjoe
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: Away for a cuppa
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 4:12 am Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
| i thought they did not to bad. look we all know it was a fluke but congrats to them. what the KFA has failed to do is build on their success. in my opinion qualifiaction for Germany will be difficult for them With 4 and a half spots. i think Japan, China, Iran and saudi are ahead of them. |
It was unexpected yes, a fluke... possibly not.
Hiddink was astute enough to get the KFA over a barrel and get them to keep their interfering noses out of his business, and when he really stepped up the World Cup preperation a couple of months before the tournament they started producing some reasonably good results:
Turkey 0-0 (in Germany)
Costa Rica 2-0 (in Daegu)
China 0-0 (in Incheon)
Scotland 4-1 (in Busan)
England 1-1 (in Seogwipo)
France 2-3 (in Suwon)
Not spectacular, but enough to suggest they would do well at the World Cup. They did, and technically they only won 2 games outright over 90 minutes:
Poland 2-0
USA 1-1
Portugal 1-0
Italy 1-1 (2-1 in extra time)
Spain 0-0 (5-3 on penalties)
Germany 0-1
Turkey 2-3
When you consider the overall run of games there then they were pretty consistent under Hiddink, who was allowed to do entirely his own thing as Korean boss. Under firstly Kim Ho-kon (former Olympic team coach, basically a KFA puppet) and latterly Humberto Coehlo the team have been hurt by the KFA desire to gain as high a world ranking as possible rather than focus on developing the team for future years. Coehlo's recent squads have been full of players (Choi Yong-Soo, Kim Tae-Young, Kim Do-Hoon, Yoo Sang-Chul, Choi Jin-Chul amongst others) who are unlikely to be around by the time the 2006 World Cup arrives. |
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IconsFanatic
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 4:41 am Post subject: |
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I reckon Korea won't get past the round-of-16 in 2006.
Nor will Coelho still be gaffer by then.... |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:19 am Post subject: |
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Ulasan isn't part of Kyeongnam but is its own special city.
Also, I know busan is an established team. just a suggestion 
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| France 2-3 (in Suwon) |
i remember this game. it was a great game |
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Holyjoe
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: Away for a cuppa
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:32 am Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
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| France 2-3 (in Suwon) |
i remember this game. it was a great game |
Yep, Zidane picked up the injury that kept him out of (most of) the World Cup in that game. |
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