Win Eight and Lose Six Goals in Seven Matches

A winning streak of the Korean football team, a so-called “Asia’s runaway engine,” came to an end at last. Along the way, it tied the United States and sent Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain home - only to be stopped by Germany and Turkey.

Korea scored eight goals and allowed six without an own goal. Of 89 shoots, 44 were effective. It won two penalties but failed to score. It had 53 times of corner kicks and was caught in off-side traps 12 times. It committed 133 fouls, and was fouled 125 times. Defense Kim Tae-young got two yellow cards and 12 players like Choi Jin-cheol, Kim Nam-il, and You Sang-chul one respectively.

The record shows all players of the Korean team played tough matches. But no red card means that they controlled themselves to make an effective management of fouls.

Of 23 entry members, only two players - goal keeper Lee Woon-jae and midfielder Song Jong-gook - played the entire matches for 687 minutes, making a great contribution to the team and demonstrating a tireless stamina. They are followed by Park Ji-sung, Hong Myung-bo, Seol Ki-hyun, and Yoo Sang-chul, who played for 634, 596, 594, and 574 minutes respectively.

Nine players - Lee Woon-jae, Song Jong-gook, Park Ji-sung, Hong Myung-bo, Ahn Jung-whan, Lee Chun-soo, Seol Ki-hyun, Kim Tae-young, and Yoo Sang-chul - took part in the entire seven matches. Choi Jin-chul participated in six matches and Kim Nam-il, Lee Young-pyo, and Hwang Sun-hong in five, Cha Doo-ri and Lee Eul-yong in four, Lee Min-sung in two, and Choi Yong-soo and Chi Tae-wook in one. But Hyun Young-min, Choi Sung-yong, Kim Byung-ji, Yoon Jung-whan, and Choi Eun-sung could not show up in a single match.

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com