It's strange. Just when the league table is starting to take shape and the season feels like its getting into a groove, we are talking about how Pohang can clinch the top spot at the next game. If the Steelers get all three points from their next fixture and rivals Chonbuk, Ulsan and FC Seoul fail to win then the first phase of the K-League will be all over.
Manager Choi Soon-ho has done a sterling job on Korea's South-east coast. He has forged a strong team that is hard to beat. The Steelers' record so far is almost stainless with only one defeat so far, at the hands of Chonbuk. The defence has provided a strong base, giving the rest of the team a chance to shine. The Brazilian defender, Santos and former national centre-half, Lee Min seong have been imperious at the back. The under-rated Moon Min-gwi has been energetic at left midfield helping new Brazilian signings Ze Carlos and Andrezinho to find their feet and that samba beat.
However, even with three Brazilians on the pitch, the Asian Club Champions of 1996 and 1997, have been solid rather than spectacular. All of Pohang's six victories have been won with a slender one goal margin. Followers of the Steelers will not be too concerned at the manner of victory but will be hoping that their team can win two of their remaining three games, which is eminently achievable given that two home games remain against winless Bucheon and military strugglers Gwangju, in order to guarantee first place in the first stage.
It's also been a strange season so far for Busan I'cons. The high-profile capture of Chris Marsden from Southampton heralded a new beginning for the team from Korea's second city. The English midfielder scored the first goal of the new season but played only two games before walking out of the club to return to England, claiming that his wife was unhappy in Korea.
Plus ça change - Marsden's departure may have displeased Coach Ian Porterfield but it doesn't seem to have affected Ahn Jung Hwan's former team too much as the I'cons continue to score few and draw many. A record of seven draws and seven goals in ten games suggests a lack of a cutting edge and entertainment on Korea's south coast.
Englishman Andy Cooke and Brazilian Gaucho are starting to show signs of finding their shooting boots and if they can help to covert a few draws into victories then the future will be bright for the I'cons as they are certainly hard to beat with only one defeat so far. Maybe Korea's sleeping giant is not yet awake but sleeping a little more lightly. The fans certainly won't wake it, however; barely 4,000 attended the game in the cavernous World Cup Stadium against Seongnam.
It seems like a long time ago that Seongnam's Jasenko Sabitovic own goal handed Incheon United a 1-0 victory over the defending champions. Since then the K-League's newest team has slid down the league to take over the bottom spot from Seongnam. A goal difference of minus eleven after ten games tells its own story and many more yellow and red cards have been collected than goals.
It is no disgrace for a team to struggle in its first season but expectations were high in this port city. The high profile signings such as Choi Tae-wook, Serbs Radonic and Andjelkovic have failed to perform. Still, they have done better than the most expensive K-League signing, Alpay. So bad have things become for the Turk, that rumours have surfaced that he is to Œdo a Marsden' and leave the country- Japan's Urawa Reds a possible option.
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Seoul United Fans |
Korea's giant capital was until recently without a football team. During the close season, LG moved Anyang Cheetahs from the satellite city to Seoul's World Cup Stadium. Unsurprisingly, the move was unpopular with Anyang fans. However, people involved with Seoul United were also miffed.
Instead of moving a team into Seoul, a group of Seoulites have been organizing funds for the creation of a 'real' Seoul team. The organizers have stated that their goal is to enter the K-League in time for the 2005 season. 2004 new boys Incheon came into existence on the back of public subscriptions so Seoul, with a much greater population should have no problems leading to Korea's first real derby.
There seems to be more than a little confusion over who will succeed Humberto Coelho as the National team's next coach. On May 30th Yonhap, Korea's news agency claimed that Senegal's World Cup coach, Frenchman Bruno Metsu would be taking over the mantle. This claim was taken up by the rest of the Korean press.
However, Metsu, the current coach of UAE team and Asian Club Champions, Al Ain, stated that the reports were not correct. It seems that the Korean media jumped the gun. As of June 1st, the KFA confirmed that they have offered the job to the Frenchman and are waiting for his reply.
Team |
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Points |
| Pohang Steelers | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 20 |
| Chonbuk Hyundai Motors | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| Seoul FC | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| Chunnam Dragons | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Busan Icons | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 13 |
| Suwon Samsung Blue Wings | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| Daegu FC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Daejeon Citizen | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Bucheon SK FC | 9 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Incheon United | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 |