‘Ninety Minutes Plus` Special Physical Training

`The secrets to the strong 16 are only two ways …`

The Korean National Team established a training camp on May 3 in Paradise Hotel in Seogwipo-Si Cheju to put a finishing touch on entering into the strong 16 in the World Cup 2002 final. Our team`s training targets for remaining one month are two things, `physical training` and `set plays.`

The physical training is the extension of field training in March in Europe. The aim is to build a tireless body even after running the full time of 90 minutes. Raymond Berheien, an expert trainer of physical training, is testing the physical strength of each player, and conducts a high-level physical power building training for each training session such as momentum speed, and endurance speed. Guus Hiddink, the head coach of the Korean National Team, is exerting every effort to enhance `playing fit body` by enforcing players to run full time with 7-to-7 mini games. Head coach Hiddink said, `There is no end in physical training, and furthermore, we will continue covert trainings to fine tune set plays.` The remark shows a clear direction of this time`s Seogwipo training.

Set play is the last stop of Hiddink`s training, as the play has not been a subject of intense training. Experts also request to fine tune set plays since Korean team does not have decisive goal getting power, and the best chances for goal-getting are gained through free kicks or corner kicks.

Head coach Hiddink declared that he would exert most of his efforts on team play so that prearranged plays can be implemented precisely, in addition to enhancing the preciseness of kicks through repetitive training, and selecting expert kickers.

The soccer experts, above all, emphasize the importance of enhancing the completeness of kicks while definitely selecting expert kickers for free kick and corner kick during the training period. Right now, it seems highly likely that Lee Cheon-Soo and Ahn Cheong-Hwan would take charge of short direct free kicks, Song Jong-Kuk and Yoo Sang-Cheol would take middle or long distance kicks, and Lee Cheon-Soo, Lee Eul-Yong, Song Jong-Kuk would be responsible for left and right corner kicks.

Commentator at SBS broadcasting, Shin Moon-Sun, said, `Now is rather hard to add a new fighting capability. There is no other way but to enhance the completeness of tactics that is maneuvered so far with the final entry roost 23 players while, at the same time, conducting physical training to fight back the highest skilled teams. We should emphasize set plays that can give us goals.`

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In other hand, the national team conducted weight training in hotel sports center in the morning, and then a tactical training in Kang Chang-Hak stadium in the afternoon since rain has poured for three hours from five to eight A.M. on May 3. Head coach Hiddink showed a cautious attitude by changing the scheduled training to an autonomous physical training as he worried about players` injures since the ground condition is not good and water is not depleting, for rain up to 56 mm precipitation poured in the downtown Sogwipo in the morning.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com