“Lee Dong-guk Not Yet Recovered”

What was the outcome of the month-long ‘overseas plan’? Korea’s national football coach Pim Verbeek returned to Korea after a 36 day tour through Europe and the Middle East. He had two goals for his tour abroad: to come up with strategies for the national teams preparing for the Asian Cup and the Olympic team preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic preliminary match.

Regarding the national team, coach Verbeek examined the physical conditions of key players such as Cha Du-ri (Mainz), Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham Hotspur) and Lee Dong-guk (Middlesbrough), and considered whether or not to add them to his team. Coach Verbeek said, “I went twice to see Cha Du-ri’s matches,” revealing his great interest in Cha.

The national team lacks a center striker, and whether Lee Dong-guk has been able to recover from his injury is a hotly debated topic. However, coach Verbeek said, “I was disappointed to hear that he has not yet recovered and has so far failed even to join the Middlesbrough reserve list. But when he proves his value, I will seriously consider selecting him for the national team.” Other than this, of the nations that Korea will come up against in the Asian Cup, coach Verbeek singled out Saudi Arabia as a team that should definitely be approached with caution.

Meanwhile, with regard to the Olympic team that will play against Yemen at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on February 28, coach Verbeek said, “The players that possess good skills and physique have been added to the team.” In relation to Park Chu-young (FC Seoul) being selected for the Olympic team, he encouraged improvement by saying, “There will be further competition before the final list is decided upon.”

bluesky@donga.com