Frustrated by the National Team? Watch the All-Star Match

Expect a Dispatch of the Stars-

Every Korean football star, including “soccer genius” Park Joo-young (FC Seoul) and “crown prince” Lee Dong-gook (Pohang Steelers), will be present for the 2005 Samsung Hauzen Cup K-League All-Star Match that is to take place at 4:00 p.m. on August 21 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Soccer fans have high expectations for this year’s all-star match, since it will take place in two parts: first, a “homecoming match” (4:00 p.m.) among former soccer stars such as Cha Bum-kun (head coach of Suwon Samsung) and Hur Jung-mu (head coach of Chunnam Dragons), followed by an “all-star match” (6:00 p.m.) among active K-League players.

The all-star match will be between the central team (FC Seoul, Suwon Samsung, Seongnam Ilhwa, Incheon United, Bucheon SK, Daejeon Citizen) and the southern team (Gwangju Sangmu, Daegu FC, Busan I’PARK, Ulsan Hyundai, Chunman Dragons, Chonbuk Hyundai Motors, Pohang Steelers).

Park Joo-young, the top-ranking player in this year’s all-star fan vote (272,552 votes), aims to be the third player in the history of the all-star games to become MVP as a rookie.

Lee Dong-gook, who missed first place in the ranking by 4,700 votes, has played in the all-star games for seven consecutive years since 1998 and has been voted MVP three times, in 1998, 2001 and 2003. Cha Bum-kun will coach the central all-star team and Hur Jung-mu will coach the southern all-star team.

Meanwhile, stars from the past, such as Cho Young-jeung, Goh Jung-woon, Park Hang-seo, Cha Bum-kun (central team), Park Jong-hwan, Hong Myung-bo, Kim Ju-sung, Hwang Sun-hong and Hur Jung-mu (southern team) will play in the homecoming match.

An auction of the football stars’ items, such as Park Joo-young’s shirts and Hong Myung-bo and Hwang Sun-hong’s autographed shoes, will take place on this day also. Proceeds from this auction will be donated to children suffering from cancer, leukemia and other incurable diseases.

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com