Where Will ‘Stork’ Head

Where will the superstar player of Korea soccer, ‘Stork’ Hwang Sun-hong(34, Kashiwa Reysol) retire?

As the first half Japan Professional Football League is coming to an end, Hwang’s course of action arouses an interest of both Korean and Japanese world of soccer.

Kashiwa recorded six successive defeats and slid down to 12th place, and the manager, Steve Pariman from England was dismissed.

As the successor to Steve, Marco Aurelly Moreyra, manager of Cruzeiru in Brazil has been appointed and an offensive midfielder, Ricardinu from Brazil was adopted, too.

Under this situation, there is much possibility of releasing Hwang from Kashiwa. As Kashiwa already selected two Brazilian players and has adopted Ricardinu this time, it has come to the limit of three foreign players and it wants Brazilian soccer style. So it is true that Hwang’s position in Kashiwa has decreased.

In addition, though Hwang was in full activity in 2002 World Cup, he didn’t join even one game in 2002 J League owing to injury and he is not expected to play well in second half J League.

On the other hand, American Professional Soccer, Major League Soccer (MLS) has expressed an intention to adopt Hwang since 2002 World Cup and one of the MLS teams will be possibly his last team. As Korean Profession Soccer Team finished registering the list of players, he cannot join the Korean Professional Football League and it is not easy to enter the European Professional Soccer team owing to his age. Besides, it is not possible to transfer to another team in Japan because it is too late to do so.

Just in time, New York-New Jersey Metrostas of MLS is reported to have an interest in Hwang Sun-hong. Metrostas, in which German soccer hero, Lotar Mateus played, has many fans in Korean towns in America and this made the team take an interest in Hwang first. In addition, as Hwang has already received a love-call from LA Galaxy, famous team in Western districts, his advance to MLS would not be difficult if he would.

Kashiwa is to bring this league to an end finishing the game with Iwata on August, 17. If Hwang shows off his capacity again as he used to, he will transfer to another team in Japan as he wants. But judging from the present state, the prospects are discouraging.

Keuk-In Bae bae2150@donga.com