Midfielder Park Rues Missed Scoring Chances

"There`ve been times when I failed to convert easy chances, and today was no exception. I need to work more on this."

Soccer star Park Ji-sung of Manchester United played the entire game in the scoreless tie at Aston Villa Saturday, his fourth start of the English Premier League season. He started against Arsenal and in two rounds of the Carling Cup earlier this month.

Last week, he also helped lead Korea over Saudi Arabia, 2-0, in a World Cup qualifier and then quickly returned to England to start against Aston Villa, demonstrating his astonishing stamina over five straight games.

Despite his resilience, however, Park has struggled to convert scoring chances, and this was especially evident against Aston Villa. For example, he received a pass from outside the penalty area in the 26th minute and quickly advanced to the end line with an opposing defender on his left. Unfortunately, his right-foot shot was blocked by the goalie and the game ended in a scoreless tie.

On a Korean Web site for United, Park said, "I will show a better performance next time by improving my skills to make quick decisions when I have a chance to score."

yjongk@donga.com