Kim Byung-Ji, `Please Let Me Play! I Will Play More Seriously`

``Now that I`ve gotten rid of my flashy playing style...``

Kim Byung-Ji (Pohang Steelers), a flashy leading goalie in the Korean professional soccer, is fretting himself. Although he has changed his playing style to fit the manager Guus Hiddink`s taste, and is showing a top-quality performance in the pro soccer league, his affinity with the Korean national team is not easily coming back.

Kim Byung-Ji has allowed just six goals at 11 Posco K-League games. His point-allowing rate of 0.55 per game is the best among the league`s goalies leaving Kim Hae-Woon (0.77. Sungnam Illwha) and Sin Eui-Son (0.85. Anyang LG) behind.

Even so, among the six goals allowed by him, 2 goals were penalty kicks, and 1 goal was by a direct free-kick. The fact that the Pohang is still maintaining the 2nd place, up to yesterday afternoon following the Suwon Samsung by just one win-point with mere 14 goals in 13 K-League games, cannot be explained without presence of Kim Byung-Ji.

His playing style has also been greatly changed. One cannot see the scene any more in which he often dribbled the ball as far as to the half-line exhibiting a risky scene. Crouching himself at the goalpost, he plays quietly only concentrating on the game. At the all-star game held on 5, at the Suwon World-Cup Stadium, Kim Byung-Ji seriously played even without a smile ignoring the spectators` expectation for his showmanship. Kim Byung-Ji has been transformed after the game against Paraguay at the Hong Kong`s Calsburg Cup in January, where he fell out of favor with the manager Hiddink due to a dangerous advancing play.

Since then, although Kim has been doing his best to show a different look with his playing ability and changed attitude to regain manager Hiddink`s trust, it is not working out well so far.

For Kim Byung-Ji, to participate in next year`s World Cup is his last chance and dream as an active player. Will he be able to see his name on the list of the national team mobilizing before a game against the Nigerian national team next month?

Bae Keuk-In bae2150@donga.com