Team Korea Ready to Depart for Europe

Korea’s national football team led by Dick Advocaat, will be departing for Scotland on May 27 and embark on their ambitious journey for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

With 13 days left for the World Cup, which is to open on June 6 (local time in Germany), Team Korea will have its final test matches. They will play against Norway on June 2 (local time) and against Ghana on June 4, which will be their final check-up before they join the actual tournament. Norway is assumed as an alternative counterpart for Switzerland and France, while Ghana is to play such a role as a virtual Togo.

Why Scotland? “I decided so based on my long experiences and knowledge,” explains head coach Advocaat, “Scotland is a beautiful place with wonderful nature. It also has excellent training facilities such as Korean National Football Center in Paju.” He continued, “As far as I know, many of those countries that are strong in football refrain from entering the host country too early. Most of them enter the host country a week before the tournament starts, after staying for a while in a third country.” He argues that players are apt to get bored soon if they enter the site too early. The team needs to adjust its schedule in this way in order to control their physical balance, added the coach.

The Koreans are planning to take their last step to boost their condition in Scotland. The team will check the physical condition of their key players such as Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United) and Lee Young-Pyo (Tottenham Hotspur) and decide the final squad of players who will start the game. While facing the Norwegians, the team will figure out their starting attackers and defenders that could best counter Switzerland, a team that plays with strong teamwork and a tight pressure defense. Considering that the match against Togo is the first one in the tournament, the team scheduled the friendly game with Ghana as the last one. By facing another African team just before, the Koreans are wishing to tune their senses to African-style football.

Once the first round of the World Cup opens, Korea will have their first match against Togo on June 13, then against France on June 19 and against Switzerland on June 24.

After the intensely controversial dismissal of the previous coach Bonfrere, Team Korea has engaged Advocaat as their new commander. The new coach has directed the national team since last October. Beginning his career in Korea with a friendly match against Iran, he has marked eight wins, three ties and three losses in 14 games so far.

“We are expecting to achieve what Guus Hiddink has accomplished in 2002,” said Advocaat.

Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com