S.Korea-Japan Match Risks Players

South Korean national soccer team led by Huh Jung-moo is playing against Japan in a de facto final of the 2008 East Asian Football Championship.

South Korean players will start the final match against their Japanese rivals at the Chongqing Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in China at 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Both countries have recorded one win and one draw, respectively. So the winner of the final game gets the championship. If they end up tying and if North Korea beats China in the final game, South Korea, Japan and North Korea will all record one win and two draws. Then the number of goals scored by each country has to be counted. For South Korea to be the final winner, it must beat Japan. Given in the 2005 game South Korea was on the bottom with two ties and one loss, South Korea needs to salvage its reputation.

This game between South Korea and Japan is the 70th one after the elimination match (SK won 5-1) held in Tokyo on Mar. 1, 1954 for the 1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland. South Korea holds the upper hand with 38 wins, 19 draws and 12 losses. However, the two countries have been neck and neck with 2 wins, 3 ties and 2 losses, respectively since 2000.

The latest match between the two was on July 28 in the 2007 Asian Cup held in Palembang, Indonesia. They fought for the 3rd place. South Korea beat Japan 6-5 in a shoot-out.

The key players of the two countries, however, have injuries. South Korea’s main striker Park Joo-young (FC Seoul) was absent in the game against North Korea because of left thigh pain he suffered during training on Feb. 19. It is unclear whether he can play in the match against Japan. Team leader Kim Nam-il is suffering from ankle pain.

Japan’s main striker Ryoichi Maeda, who scored to make a tie in a game against North Korea, has already gone home because he had hurt his right knee. Midfielder Michihiro Yasuda was kicked in the side and taken to the hospital during a clash with China, and cannot play against South Korea. Defenseman Yuichi Komano had a relapse of his ankle injury in the fight against China.

South Korea is expected to employ three-back and four-back systems so that Yeom Ki-hoon and Lee Geun-ho can attempt a flank attack. Japan is likely to put up a fight by fielding experienced players like Keita Suzuki and Yasuhito Endo to the midfield using forward passes.

bluesky@donga.com