The reaction among many European fans is one of exasperation. With pre-season preparations virtually done, the thought of their star players spreading out all over the world for friendly matches and then returning home injured before a domestic ball has been kicked is not a pleasant one. For South Korea, however, the game against Nigeria at Suwon World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening is important.
It is not only the first game since the 2010 World Cup and the first under new coach Cho Kwang-rae, the match marks the start of preparations for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar in January. There are less than five months before the South Korean team takes on Australia, India and Bahrain in the Middle East. That’s not much time for the new man, formerly coach of the Anyang Cheetahs, FC Seoul and Gyeongnam FC, to find his feet and his best team.
As with many coaches, his first roster contained some surprises, mainly the fact that six uncapped youngsters were included. Three of these ply their trade in Japan: Kim Min-woo, 20, of Sagan Tosu; Kim Young-kwon, 20, of FC Tokyo; and Cho Young-chul, 21, of Albirex Niigata. The Korean-based trio are Chi Dong-won, 19, of Chunnam Dragons, Hong Jeong-ho, 20, from Jeju United and Yoon Bit-Garam, 20, from Gyeongnam.
If those fresh-faced footballers are taking their first steps in their international career then there is one of the 25 who is about to call it a day. Goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae is waving goodbye to the national team after 131 games between the sticks during an international career that started back in 1994. Now 36 years old, the Suwon shot-stopper went to the World Cup but watched the four games from the bench as Jung Sung-ryeong stepped up to the plate.
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