Choi Seong-Kuk – Jung Jo-Kuk Have Joined `Hiddink’s Division`

`Little Mara Dona` Choi Seong Kuk (19. Korea Univ.) and Jung Jo-Kuk (18. Dae Shin High.) joined the national soccer team for the first time in their lives.

After having a meeting with the national team’s coaching staff on the 4th, coach Guus Hiddink decided to include Choi and Jung, who both scored goals in two evaluation matches with Japan last month, in the players’ entry for the Costa Rican match on the 20th.

Hiddink also called in other youngsters, including Cho Sung-Hwan, Son Dae-Ho (both Suwon Samsung), and Park Yo-Sep (Anyang LG).

“I decided to include these young players for the future of Korean soccer. If J-Leaguers (Japanese professional soccer) join, they will be excluded from the national team, but they might stay as long as they show some impressive performance during the training period,” said Hiddink.

He also selected strikers Sul Gi-Hyun and Ahn Jung-Hwan, who are currently competing in Europe, requesting their teams for cooperation so that they may participate in the Costa Rican match. Lee Dong-Kuk (Pohang) and Cha Doo-Ri (Korea Univ.) are also to join the offense.

Although the Costa Rican match on the 20th will mainly consist of domestic players, the national team will call in all the foreign-based players for the Chinese match on the 27th to test for the final World Cup entry.

Therefore, J-Leaguers like Yoon Jung-Hwan (Cerezo Osaka), Choi Yong-Su (Jef United Ichihara), Yoo Sang-Chul, Hwang Sun-Hong (both Kashiwa Reysol), and Park Ji-Sung (Kyoto Purple Sanga) are to join the national team on the 21st. The team will begin its camp training in Daegu from the 12th.

Keuk-In Bae bae2150@donga.com