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By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter

Korea Set to Blow Off Iran Curse
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2009/02/136_39289.html

The day of the sand storm stands almost beneath the feet of South Korea's national football team.

The players are about to rise up to the task of overcoming Iran in a 2010 World Cup qualifier at the Middle Eastern nation's sacred ground, Azadi Stadium, in Tehran, Wednesday (8:30 p.m.), in a bid to secure their seventh-straight World Cup berth.

Though Huh Jung-moo's side took a lead in Group B with seven points, with a 2-1-0 record, they've never beaten the Iranians on their own turf. Iran are placed second on five points, with a 1-2-0.

Korea, which is ranked 42nd in the FIFA world rankings, has an overall competition record of 8-5-8 against the 46th-ranked Middle Eastern country. But the Korean team has recorded only one draw and two losses in Tehran against the Iranians.

In a valiant attempt to break their ``Iran jinx,'' Huh took his boys to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Jan. 29 to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in practice matches against Syria and Bahrain.

During those matches, especially in the Bahrain encounter, the South Korean defenders revealed a potential weakness in the back line by slipping two goals.

But a consolation comes in the shape of veteran defender Lee Young-pyo of Borussia Dortmund, who joins the team with hopes of locking Iran's passage to goal.

Left-back Lee will control the back line, which will also likely consist of Lee Jung-soo, Cho Yong-hyung and Oh Bum-seok.

A German league player, Lee joined up with the squad Tuesday, and if he is deemed unfit to play, Kim Dong-jin of Zenit St. Petersburg will replace him.

While veteran goalie Lee Woon-jae will be between the sticks, Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung will command the engine room, supported by young midfielders Ki Sung-yong and Lee Chung-yong, who are just back from injury.

In attack, ascendant Lee Keun-ho and Park Chu-young of AS Monaco may thrill the fans, while the latter can be used as a hidden card, having played against Iran's fellow Middle Easterners, Saudi Arabia.

Lee's rise to prominence has been almost meteoric. The 23-year-old has hit the back of the net six times in six international games, a phenomenal record. He scored the header that tied the match against Bahrain in the dying minutes Feb. 4 and also notched goals in two consecutive matches in the World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The 54-year-old Huh and his side got a feel for the Azadi Stadium surface in a training session, Monday. The players strengthened their teamwork abilities in a series of mini-games, with Lee Keun-ho and Jeong Suhung-hoon positioned in attack in a 4-4-2 formation.

``We have no injured players and our mood is very good. We will put in all our effort on the ground to beat Iran. The national team has a jinx that they've never beaten the Persians in a road game," said Huh.

``As we smash the jinx, we want to write a new history"

Iran, managed by Iranian football legend Ali Daei, called up export players Javad NeKounam of Spanish side CA Osasuna, his team mate Masoud Shojaei and Vahid Hashemian of VFL Bochum.

The Persians' midfield, which will consist of the two Osasuna players and captain Karim Bagheri, is well organized to deal with the threat posed by Korea's biggest export Park and the two young-gun players.

Another consolation for South Korea comes in the guise of the Middle Eastern country's striker Gholamreza Rezaei. He is unable to participate in the clash after picking up two bookings in the qualifying campaign so far, meaning he is suspended.

Manager Daei ― who was in the side that beat Korea 6-2 in the quarterfinal of the Asian Cup in 1996, when he scored four of the goals ― has also tried to introduce a new generation of players to his team, using talented youngsters instead of the older, more experienced export players.

Elsewhere in Group B, North Korea is placed third with four points, recording a 1-1-1, and Saudi Arabia is just behind them with the same record, but with an inferior goal difference.

With either South Korea or Iran able to virtually book their ticket to the World Cup Finals in South Africa if they pick up the three points that comes with a win, today's match look set to be extremely fierce.

While one is trying to blow off a jinx, the other desperately wants to maintain an unbeaten record on its sacred ground.

According to the weather forecast, the battle will be held in rain.

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