"Nonetheless, I Am the Person for The Entry.”

“If you live, I will die.”

For a striker position of Guus Hiddink`s national soccer team, Ahn Jung-Hwan (26, Perugia), Lee Dong-Gook (23, Pohang Steelers), and Cha Doo-Ri (22, Korea Univ.) are playing a `survival game.`

Among the 23 entries of the World Cup finals, there will be 6 forwards. Hwang Sun-Hong, Seol Ki-Hyeon, and Choi Young-Soo are pretty much sure to be the entries, and Choi Tai-Uk and Lee Cheon-Soo are also likely to take the positions. Thus, those three players are competing against each other for one remaining ticket.

Because they have different strengths and weaknesses, head coach Hiddink cannot easily choose one over the other.

Lee Dong-Gook`s strength is his talent as a `standard` striker. His powerful shot, during his tough struggling against defense, is a merit. Comparing with the fact that Hwang Sun-Hong and Seol Ki-Hyeon are more effective when they are chosen for the side-strikers or wings rather than they play for one-top, Lee Dong-Gook`s strength is remarkable. However, lack of speed and a habit of changing motion after stopping the ball are the stumbling blocks for Lee Dong Gook, who has strong desire for playing the World Cup finals by changing his cellular phone number to `2002,` to become an entry.

Cha Doo-Ri is a favorite with Hiddink for his high speed since he became a member of the national team in last October. During the European field training, when all the overseas` players were participated, he was chosen for all three games. But his weakness is a low ability of finalizing the goal. Cha recorded no goal in A match`s 11 games. He usually kicks the ball to wrong directions at critical moments due to the lack of power or misses the chances because of bad ball trapping.

Ahn Jung-Hwan has speed and power, which are the weaknesses of Lee Dong-gook and Cha Doo-Ri. Nonetheless, his demerit is lack of physical strength. Ahn`s physical strength that cannot fully cover the 90 minutes` play is his fatal weakness under Hiddink, who favor tireless players, such as Park Ji-Sung, Lee Dhun-Soo, and Cha Doo-Ri.

Upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and China on April 20th and 27th will be the yardsticks to decide their survival. These two games are really good chances for Lee Dong-Gook, who has played only one game during the European field training due to the overseas` players, because he will have chances to play. Cha Doo-Ri, who has recorded no goal for 11 games as a striker, might be pressured with the burden of the `last chance.`

buddy@donga.com