For the four Koreans here who care (me, RedRedemption, Go_Korea, krnxsnoopy? who else?). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_–_AFC_Fourth_Round South Korea got off to a good start taking 3 points away from Qatar with a 4-1 win today taking a strangle hold on Group A in the fourth round. Lee Keun Ho is a legit striker, scoring two against Qatar and one against Spain. I think he's better than Park Joo Young. I'd say South Korea and Japan are locks, Australia probably too but they drew with freaking Oman and is playing Japan next. Go Korea!
I know they're already eliminated but this is still my favorite team in the Asian continent.Hopefully someday they can qualify for either 2018 or 2022. Hey Kam, whatever happened to your Cambodia national team? and here's another game. This is against India.
I don't like this team of Korea. I hope this is just our "B" Squad playing just to qualify and we'll see major changes before Brazil. I don't really like the coach either. After the WC Qualifiers, Korea needs to bring on a foreign coach a la Hiddink before 2014 in Brazil.
Yeah, I would think the actual WC Finals team will include more EPL/Bundesliga players and one would think a lot of these youngsters will develop in two years to snag away a few spots. As for the manager, I don't mind who it is or where he's from as long as he puts together a team based solely on skill/fit rather than politics, popularity, or nepotism, which plagued ROK's football teams before Hiddink showed up and cleaned house.
I can't speak with intelligence on most of the AFC but I hope that Qatar gets crushed for this and the next WC cycle. I hope they never even sniff a real WC before the travesty that is them hosting one.
Yeah... the KFA is ridiculously corrupt and political.. everything based on relationships and favors than merit. But I guess all FA's are like that.
It's gotten a lot better since Hiddink. I think Korea has some really interesting youngsters that could be world-class by 2014.
Honestly, I'm not too optimistic about the youngsters coming up. They all seem like borderline European league players. No one that really stands out. I don't think their ceiling is very high. I hope to be wrong, but I don't think we will see another JS Park in the immediate future. Probably will field a stronger side in 2018.. I think our best squad in recent years was the 2010 squad where it had the right mix of veteran experience and youth.
Iran (as always) has a bunch of talented guys, but an average coach, horrendous facilities, atrocious football program and even worse football federation. It doesn't hurt to have 100,000 passionate fans packing the stadium for home games though. Still, I think they qualify from this group as long as they pick up at least one point in Beirut.
How dare you put them down like that?? On a serious note: Lee, Park, Choi, Lee, Kim, Park, Lee, Park, Choi, Kim, Lee, Kim, Park, Choi, Lee are some of my favourite players in the AFC. Who are your favourite guys?
Koo is looking to be progressing well in Germany. Ki should also become a lot more popular if he does sign with QPR to play alongside Park. I think Ki could become Xabi-esque if he's careful.
