Korea-China soccer duel

The spectacular "two top," a mix of old and new, is set to conquer the Great Wall. The Korean national soccer team, which will play its first game with China in the new millenium on the 28th, plans to beat a path to victory with its strong two top, comprised of Kim Do-Hoon (30, Jeonbuk) and Lee Dong-kuk (21, Pohang).

Since arriving in Beijing on the 26th, the team has held 2 local training sessions. Head coach Huh Jung-Moo revealed that Kim and Lee are in peak condition and will be the players that bring Korea a victory.

Kim, who returned from Japan this year, has scored in 8 consecutive games and leads the K-League scoring table with 12 goals. His scoring instincts are presently in top condition. In particular, with this game being played by the Olympic-oriented team, if he makes a strong showing, the possibility of him being selected as a wild card player will improve.

`Lion King` Lee Dong-Kuk was tapped due to his rapidly improving play in the Pro league after recovering from a 5 month knee injury. With his prime strength being his explosive flash shooting skill, head coach Huh believes he will complement Kim`s sharp penetrations and stable play.

China`s frontline strikers will be Li JinWui, Li Bing and Wang Tao. Li JinWui studied soccer in Brazil and is well known in Korea as China`s top scorer. Wang Tao started for the Dalian team and led the team to its 3rd championship in the A-league. Li Bing returned from the Bundesliga 2nd division after a 4-month stint and is currently 3rd in scoring for the season.

Bae Keuk-In bae2150@donga.com