PSV Eindhoven Advances to Quarterfinals Even With a Tie in Its Next Game

“Park Ji-sung’s menacing offensive play at the right wing was very helpful to the team’s victory.”

Head coach Guus Hiddink of PSV Eindhoven again spoke in high terms of Park Ji-sung. Putting aside Alex, the Brazilian player who made the goal, Guus Hiddink applauded Park’s play, and said that Park’s play helped the team to win. It shows just how much head coach Guus Hiddink trusts Park Ji-sung.

On February 23, PSV Eindhoven’s first game against AS Monaco (France) of the 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League was held in Eindhoven’s Philips Stadium in the Netherlands.

Eindhoven won the game, 1-0, thanks to Alex’s header goal at the beginning of the game. Therefore, unless Eindhoven loses to AS Monaco in the second game, which will be held on March 10, Eindhoven will advance to the quarterfinals. The second round of the UEFA’s Champions League, which is held in a home and away system, decides which team will advance to the next stage by the difference in the number of goals made and who lost, and the number of goals made in the away game, if the teams have tied.

Recently, PSV Eindhoven, with two Korean players, Park Ji-sung, and Lee Young-pyo, playing for it, is doing great. PSV Eindhoven is staying in first place in the Netherlands’ professional league with 17 wins, four draws and one loss, and the team’s also very close to advancing to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. And now, after 16 years have passed since Eindhoven and Guus Hiddink swept all UEFA Champions League opposition, the Netherlands professional league, and the FA Cup in the 88-89 season, it seems that the team’s glory days are finally back.

In the meanwhile, Real Madrid of Spain, which has won the most number of times (nine times) in Champions League play, defeated Juventus (Italia) one to zero, and has taken a step closer to the championship. David Beckham, whose third son was recently born, recorded an assist off of Ivan Helguera’s header goal with a free kick.

FC Bayern Munchen of Germany defeated Arsenal, the leading team of the English Premier League, 3-1, and has taken a step closer to the quarterfinals.

Soon-Il Kwon stt77@donga.com