Verbeek Plays Lee Dong-guk Card
Lee Dong-guk (28, Middlesbrough) finally got the call.
Pim Verbeek, the head coach of the Korean national football team, announced on June 15 that Lee Dong-guk and 22 more players would be included on the list of players who will play in the 2007 Asian Cup Football Championship that will be held in four Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia from July 7 to 29.
It was only three days ago when Verbeek said, Lee Dong-guk isnt 100% better, so he wont be much help to the team. However, because of the absence of Park Ji-sung (Manchester United) and Seol Gi-hyeon (Reading FC), he had no choice but to choose Lee.
Ahn Jeong-hwan (Suwon) did not make the list, and Park Joo-young (Seoul) is not a starter.
The team will begin its first training session on June 23 on Jeju Island. It will have a friendly match against Uzbekistan before it leaves for Indonesia on July 6. Korea is in group D along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
Final list of players: goalkeepers: Jeong Seong-ryong (Pohang) and Kim Yong-dae (Seongnam); defensive players: Kang Min-soo (Jeonnam), Kim Chi-woo (Jeonnam), Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonnam), Kim Chi-gohn (Seoul), Kim Dong-jin (Zenit), Oh Beom-seok (Pohang), Song Jong-guk (Suwon), and Kim Sahng-sik (Seongnam); midfielders: Kim Doo-hyeon (Seongnam), Sohn Dae-ho (Seongnam), Kim Jeong-woo (Nagoya), Kim Nam-il (Suwon), Lee Ho (Zenit) and Yeom Gi-hoon (Jeonbuk); forwards: Jo Jae-jin (Shimizu), Choi Seong-guk (Seongnam), Lee Cheon-soo (Ulsan), Wu Seong-yong (Ulsan), Lee Geun-ho (Daegu), and Lee Dong-guk; substitutes: Baek Ji-hoon (Suwon), Yang Sang-min (Suwon), Park Joo-young (Seoul), Jeong Jo-guk (Seoul), Kim Chang-soo (Daejeon), Kim Yeong-gwang (Ulsan), and Oh Jang-eun (Ulsan)
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