Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nzbradly78]

How good is Korea soccer? I was having a discussion about the upcoming world cup with my high school students and I didn't know that Korea has one 25 games in a row. I know they have tons of players in Europe now. Are they doing well? Just curious. I was here in the last world cup and they didn't make it out of the group stage. My students think that Korea has a good enough team to repeat 2002 or do even better. I know to take statements like that with a grain of salt. I just want a little perspective from more educated fans than I.

By the way, I did a poll on the Korea-Australia game; I had no idea Australia was ranked 14th by FIFA. That seems a bit odd to me. I suppose that proves that ranking is just a number!


PS
I follow the Bundesliga, so that's the reason for my ignorance. The only Korean playing there as far as I know is Cha Doo-ri, who plays for SC Freiburg. Is he still on the Korean team? I remember seeing him in 2002.

[andrewchon]

Cha Doori is no longer a first team player. Personally I thought he lacked skills and only got in because of his legendary father.

SK will do reasonable well because they know they are the standard bearer for Asian Football. Don't think they'll get to Semi-final in Africa. An African team has to get in to the quartet. EUFA and CONMEBOL will fill the other 3 spots.

[Yaya]

The Korean team will not get out of the group stages because Huh Jung-moo is the coach. HUH JUNG-MOO? He is on his third stint as coach and I have no idea why. He simply is not the guy to lead Korea to anything. So what if Korea qualified, dozens of coaches could've achieved that.

The thing is, if Park Ji-sung gets hurt or isn't playing well, the whole team will suffer. Sure, Korea has a lot more Europe-based players now but that also means less time for them to play as a team.

Your students are dreaming if they think Korea will enjoy 2002-like success. They need a serious reality check.

[YLWRocketMan]

They are a step below the elite national teams. I'd put them in a group with countries like Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia, Australia, USA, Mexico, Japan. At this point i think there's probably a 50-50 chance they make it out of the group stage in 2010, depending on the draw of course.

Not sure where your students got that 25 wins in row stat, i know they had a draw a few months ago.

[nzbradly78]

Thanks for the input guys. I really shouldn't type with my three year old running around. "One?!" What's Park Chu Young up to now? He's the hometown hero here in Daegu, but didn't do particularly well in 2006. Haven't seen him in the K-League at all.

[Rusty Shackleford]

[Yaya]

[Xuanzang]

Round of 16 and out.

[CrikeyKorea]

Ranking isn't just a number mate... Except for a couple of losses and a draw or two against terrible Asian teams over the past two years, Australia has beaten some very highly ranked teams, and with their first team, are quite competitive(they aren't going to win a world cup or anything) but aren't merely lucky in gaining the rank that they have. (They will drop half a dozen places after the loss to Korea I reckon...)

[Johnysuth]

[YLWRocketMan]

[ewok]

delusions of grandeur...
the koreans had one decent showing at a world cup, and now assume they are entitled to be ranked and respected as a global footballing power.

World Cup history is littered with teams that reached far above expectations ONCE, and never again have seen success. (turkey 2002, croatia 98, romania 94, just to name a few)

The Koreans will never reach anything of note again. Anyone with a realistic understanding of the game can tell you that. It was a once-in-history combination of home field advantage, refereeing mistakes (to put it nicely), brilliant coaching, and sheer adrenaline that allowed Korea to reach what it did in 2002.

They have only one player in a top team of a top world league -JS PArk in ManU, and he is not a regular starter, but a stop-gap to let the regulars take a break every now and then. The other couple of premier leaguers are benchwarmers, there only to sell shirts and broadcast rights. (a case that could also be made for JS PArk...?)

The other players abroad are in second and third tier leagues, and all struggle to make any impact on their teams...

And the k-league is one step above a good amateur league in England. The best team in the K-League probably would be relegated from the third English division...

The only reason they consistently qualify is because FIFA is obligated to give 4 or 5 qualifying spots to each continent, and Asia has only 4 good teams (Korea, Japan, Australia, and Saudia Arabia)

They still need many many years to mature their footballing culture to the point where they produce true world class players. But as long as they put unrealistic expectations on their team, there will never be the possibility of that.

[Yaya]

I think a few people misinterpreted my post about ranking. What I meant was that Korea is far lower than a step below the elite in that it's ranked 49th. 49th is a far cry from just a step below the elite, and well, the retention of Huh as coach means Korea doesn't care about the next World Cup.

After all, I do think Koreans overrate their national team big time, especially the players. I hear there are more female fans of soccer in Korea than male, and that's why you have Web users saying X player should play more because he's "cute."

[neil537]

[shinramyun]