Kim Dae-ui for MVP and Lee Chun-soo for Best Rookie Award

Year of 2002, which got heated with the enthusiastic zeal for the World Cup. Who are the stars that have risen up this year in the pro league?

On Nov. 28th, the press votes and determines who should be the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Best 11 and Coach of the Year.

This year, the World Cup, teamed up with the three pro cups, instilled excitement into the pro league throughout the entire season. Likewise, the competition for the MVP title is fierce. People point out as the most promising candidates Kim Dae-ui (28, Sungnam), Kim Hyun-suk (35, Woolsan) and Hong Myong-bo (33).

Among the three, Kim Dae-ui commands the vantage point. He has led the attacking line of Sungnam with his powerful dribbling, recording 8 goals and three assists in Adidas Cup, and 9 goals and 9 assists in the regular league.

In addition, he has played all throughout the season (38 games) with strict management of himself. Further, his playing in the A-match against Brazil will also help him in his bid for the MVP title.

Nonetheless, Kim Dae-ui will have some difficulty down the road. First, Kim Hyun-suk, after turning himself from a defender to a striker, contributed to his team`s 8-game winning streak. It is Hyun-suk who has played in the most games (351 games) and recorded the most scores (110 goals). In addition, Hong Myung-bo, who just retired from the national team, will also pose a great threat to Kim Dae-ui.

Also on the candidates` list are Edmilson (34, Chunbook), World Cup star Lee Woon-jae (29, Soowon), Shin Byung-ho (25, Chunnam), Kim Young-geun (24, Daejun), Woo Sung-yong (29, Busan), Kim Gi-dong (20, Buchon), and Lee Young-pyo (25, Ahnyang).

On the other hand, Lee Chun-soo stands out as the best rookie. His powerful speed scored 9 goals and 9 assists only in the regular league. Teamed up with Yoo Sang-chul and Kim Hyun-suk, he drummed up the fans` support for his team, and has recorded the most assists.

Even though Cho Byung-gook (21, Suwon) and Park Joseph (22, Ahnyang) are the promising rookies, they would not match Lee in the "rookie race."

For the selection of Best 11, some 40 players are competing with each other. For the goalkeeper spot, Kim Byung-ji, Shin Ui-son, Park Jong-moon and Suh Dong-myong are in competition. For the defense positions, Kim Young-chul, Kim Tae-young and Choi Jin-chul are vying with each other.

Lee Kwon-woo, Shin Tae-yong, Goh Jong-soo and Kim Nam-il are nominated for the mid-field positions, while Shasha, Sandro, Yoo Sang-chul, Kim Do-hoon and Lee Dong-gook are for the strikers.

In the meanwhile, Cha Kyung-bok is likely to win the Coach of the Year award.

stt77@donga.com