Asian Football: AFC Asian Cup 2007
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Saturday July 28, 2007 Match day 15
Match #31
28/7/07
19:35 (JKT Time)
3/4th Place
Korea Republic v Japan
Jaka Baring Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia
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Sunday July 29, 2007 Match day 16
Match #32
29/7/07
19:35 (JKT time)
Final
Iraq v Saudi Arabia
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Originally posted by Jaeyoon:
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[b]Saturday July 28, 2007 Match day 15
Match #31
28/7/07
19:35 (JKT Time)
3/4th Place
Korea Republic v Japan
Jaka Baring Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia
am i the only one who think this 3rd/4th placing match is even more interesting to watch comparing to final?
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Sunday July 29, 2007 Match day 16
Match #32
29/7/07
19:35 (JKT time)
Final
Iraq v Saudi Arabia
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Ninja, I disagree with you. They are not trying to use the penalty shoot-out to win. Verbeek didn't even want a penalty shoot-out. Because you don't have Korean soccer information and news about what the players and coaches said. The reports in the news over the internet are all in Korean sites. Most reports in English are only surface report. Thus many players are not known to people outside Korea. Actually they hate penalty shoot out actually because it's depend only on luck. You might win once but you can't win the second time. Nobody likes it.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Congratulations to Iraq ,Bye Bye Corea.
I actually thought the Iraqis were a better team tonight from the first whistle to the last kick .Why did the Korean players have to put on a shocked look? They should have taken their chances well and not use the penalty shoot out as their reserve parachute.Although the Koreans played well tonight there is still not enough firepower up front.Ok good luck next time .
Japan must prevail in the second game.My prediction .......no PK
Like I said before, it's the wrong tactics and wrong players selected so far that resulted in the lack of good opportunities in front of goals.
Scoring goals in the past wasn't a big problem. I believe you know that if you have watched the Korea starting from the 80s till a few years ago.
Now the problem of scoring is a bit of a similar to what Italy used to experience before in the late 90s when they were finding it hard to score goals. That's what we call goal drought.
Anyway, we're all out. It's time to rebuild and look forward to the Beijing Olympic 2008 qualifying and World Cup South Africa 2010 qualifying.
Good luck to you Ninja. -
Congratulations SaudisOriginally posted by Jaeyoon:Ninja, both orientals are knocked out.
It's an all-middle-east final.
Anyway, we'll meet your team in the 3rd/4th playoff.
Corea - Japan after all although not in the final.
Finally we are gonna meet after so long in a major tournament.
Final : Iraq - Saudi Arabia.
Well, I wish Iraq all the best. They've beaten us to wake the KFA (Korea Football Association) up. We'll change coach and rebuild the national team.
I admit Korea didn't play up to standard. i am sad and disappointed but to be frank, they don't deserve to go to the final.
Everyone, thanks for supporting! Good night!
and Bye Bye Nippon
but it was a good game and we fought to the finish.Saudis scored some beautiful goals and they deserve to win.From this game we now know that Osim is not a David Copperfield and that the players must learn to take responsibilities & more shots at goal in the future.Some players like Maki must be dropped,he should try out for the Volleyball team or work in Sesame street as Big Bird's double.Goodnight! -
Well Jaeyoon, 3rd/4th placing here we come and good luck on Sunday.
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Maybe..... How do the others think?Originally posted by 798:am i the only one who think this 3rd/4th placing match is even more interesting to watch comparing to final?
Now I would like to contribute a fair and frank opinion. And I hope Singaporean fans don't get me wrong and don't be offended. Just an opinion only. And I hope anyone can tell me the reason. I would like to know.
I realize that soccer fans in Singapore tend to support Japan very very much, especially the youngsters ( teens and below 25 group) no matter how. In terms of Asian football, even the media in Singapore focus more on Japan team than any other Asian country like Korea or China. This, I don't see it so obvious in other Asian countries.
When you randomly ask any young man on the street about stating a powerful team in Asia, right away the answer from the majority is Japan. Very few would answer Korea, Iran or Saudi. Believe it or not, if you travel elsewhere in Asia, the answers from them are more of a mixed of different teams instead of only Japan.
Can any Singaporean fan tell me the reason? I am curious to find out. I can see many more young people wearing Japan's jersey than Korea's or China's.
In East Asian soccer, no doubt Japan has improved a lot from the 90s till now but to be honest, it is Korea that has a longer tradition of soccer as a powerhouse since the old days. The 80s and 90s, we would not see a Korea team failing to qualify for Asian Cup, Asian Games and the World Cup (since 1986) and the players in the 80s and 90s played some of Asia's best attacking football too, only failing to win the Asian Cup on many occasions after the quarter finals or semi finals or ending up as losing finalists. Fine Korean players with quality attitude were produced too but nobody remembers. Japanese players in recent time like Inamoto, Nakata Hidetoshi or Ono Shinji, despite having longer names, they can remember.
Players' names should not be difficult to remember too because Korean names are very similar to Chinese names. We all have the same surnames anyway. People here in Singapore tend to remember Japanese players' names more easily despite the names being longer and so different from Chinese names.
For ninja's case, he supports Japan because he's been living and working in Japan since 1992 (am I right, Shortninja?). So naturally, he's become like a half Japanese. I can understand that.
Not only myself but many of my Korean friends living here are also surprised by the great support the young Singaporean guys have for Japan team.
I do have friends in Singapore supporting Korea very much but they support Korea because I'm their friend or one of their good friends is a Korean.
I do notice there are Korea or Thailand supporters but much fewer compares to Japan supporters here in Singapore.
In terms of standard, Thailand might lose to Japan but I don't think Japan is better than Korea. From club levels to international levels, (no offend to Japan or Ninja) Korean clubs and national team have beaten Japanese clubs and national team more than losing them in statistic.
Ninja, I'm just stating what I have observed here. I'm not unhappy or anything. It's just that my friends and I are very curious about this. If you can explain to me the reasons, I'll be happy to know.
and for 798's saying that the 3rd/4th placing Korea-Japan game is more interesting. Is it because of Japan?
Well, Ninja and I know the reasons about the Japan - Korea game. It's always very interesting for several reasons. It'll be interesting if it's a China-Japan too. But for Singaporeans, why are they interested? Is it because they support Japan?
SumOne or Ordinaryguy32, maybe you can explain to me too.
Cheers.
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Ninja, not Sunday. It's Saturday.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Well Jaeyoon, 3rd/4th placing here we come and good luck on Sunday. When Korea versus Japan, we call Han - il Jeon. Han is Korea, il is Japan, Jeon means battle.
il means Sun in Korean. nippon in Japanese is il-bon in Korean
han-guk is korea. han is short for hanguk
Thus han - il jeon. In mandarin, it's han ri zhan. what's it in Japanese? -
Originally posted by Jaeyoon:
Except for the Philippines most of South East Asia are more Japanized than they are Americanized.I've lived in Korea for 6 months before but the first time I visited Mt Fuji in 1985 I knew I would migrate here someday.I am now a Japanese citizen and I visit Singapore twice a year.2 years ago Japan almost got upsetted in Singapore the final score was 2-1 but I was surprised to see an international looking Singapore team which I thought was a great idea cuz I grew up watching Singapore get thrashed all the time in a International.So this is my reason why I support these two teams now.Hope you get reasonable answers from the rest
Maybe..... How do the others think?
Now I would like to contribute a fair and frank opinion. And I hope Singaporean fans don't get me wrong and don't be offended. Just an opinion only. And I hope anyone can tell me the reason. I would like to know.
I realize that [b]soccer fans in Singapore tend to support Japan very very much, especially the youngsters ( teens and below 25 group) no matter how. In terms of Asian football, even the media in Singapore focus more on Japan team than any other Asian country like Korea or China. This, I don't see it so obvious in other Asian countries.
When you randomly ask any young man on the street about stating a powerful team in Asia, right away the answer from the majority is Japan. Very few would answer Korea, Iran or Saudi. Believe it or not, if you travel elsewhere in Asia, the answers from them are more of a mixed of different teams instead of only Japan.
Can any Singaporean fan tell me the reason? I am curious to find out. I can see many more young people wearing Japan's jersey than Korea's or China's.
In East Asian soccer, no doubt Japan has improved a lot from the 90s till now but to be honest, it is Korea that has a longer tradition of soccer as a powerhouse since the old days. The 80s and 90s, we would not see a Korea team failing to qualify for Asian Cup, Asian Games and the World Cup (since 1986) and the players in the 80s and 90s played some of Asia's best attacking football too, only failing to win the Asian Cup on many occasions after the quarter finals or semi finals or ending up as losing finalists. Fine Korean players with quality attitude were produced too but nobody remembers. Japanese players in recent time like Inamoto, Nakata Hidetoshi or Ono Shinji, despite having longer names, they can remember.
Players' names should not be difficult to remember too because Korean names are very similar to Chinese names. We all have the same surnames anyway. People here in Singapore tend to remember Japanese players' names more easily despite the names being longer and so different from Chinese names.
For ninja's case, he supports Japan because he's been living and working in Japan since 1992 (am I right, Shortninja?). So naturally, he's become like a half Japanese. I can understand that.
Not only myself but many of my Korean friends living here are also surprised by the great support the young Singaporean guys have for Japan team.
I do have friends in Singapore supporting Korea very much but they support Korea because I'm their friend or one of their good friends is a Korean.
I do notice there are Korea or Thailand supporters but much fewer compares to Japan supporters here in Singapore.
In terms of standard, Thailand might lose to Japan but I don't think Japan is better than Korea. From club levels to international levels, (no offend to Japan or Ninja) Korean clubs and national team have beaten Japanese clubs and national team more than losing them in statistic.
Ninja, I'm just stating what I have observed here. I'm not unhappy or anything. It's just that my friends and I are very curious about this. If you can explain to me the reasons, I'll be happy to know.
and for 798's saying that the 3rd/4th placing Korea-Japan game is more interesting. Is it because of Japan?
Well, Ninja and I know the reasons about the Japan - Korea game. It's always very interesting for several reasons. It'll be interesting if it's a China-Japan too. But for Singaporeans, why are they interested? Is it because they support Japan?
SumOne or Ordinaryguy32, maybe you can explain to me too.
Cheers. [/b] -
Originally posted by Jaeyoon:
japan won the last 3 asian cup.
Maybe..... How do the others think?
Now I would like to contribute a fair and frank opinion. And I hope Singaporean fans don't get me wrong and don't be offended. Just an opinion only. And I hope anyone can tell me the reason. I would like to know.
I realize that [b]soccer fans in Singapore tend to support Japan very very much, especially the youngsters ( teens and below 25 group) no matter how. In terms of Asian football, even the media in Singapore focus more on Japan team than any other Asian country like Korea or China. This, I don't see it so obvious in other Asian countries.
When you randomly ask any young man on the street about stating a powerful team in Asia, right away the answer from the majority is Japan. Very few would answer Korea, Iran or Saudi. Believe it or not, if you travel elsewhere in Asia, the answers from them are more of a mixed of different teams instead of only Japan.
Can any Singaporean fan tell me the reason? I am curious to find out. I can see many more young people wearing Japan's jersey than Korea's or China's.
In East Asian soccer, no doubt Japan has improved a lot from the 90s till now but to be honest, it is Korea that has a longer tradition of soccer as a powerhouse since the old days. The 80s and 90s, we would not see a Korea team failing to qualify for Asian Cup, Asian Games and the World Cup (since 1986) and the players in the 80s and 90s played some of Asia's best attacking football too, only failing to win the Asian Cup on many occasions after the quarter finals or semi finals or ending up as losing finalists. Fine Korean players with quality attitude were produced too but nobody remembers. Japanese players in recent time like Inamoto, Nakata Hidetoshi or Ono Shinji, despite having longer names, they can remember.
Players' names should not be difficult to remember too because Korean names are very similar to Chinese names. We all have the same surnames anyway. People here in Singapore tend to remember Japanese players' names more easily despite the names being longer and so different from Chinese names.
For ninja's case, he supports Japan because he's been living and working in Japan since 1992 (am I right, Shortninja?). So naturally, he's become like a half Japanese. I can understand that.
Not only myself but many of my Korean friends living here are also surprised by the great support the young Singaporean guys have for Japan team.
I do have friends in Singapore supporting Korea very much but they support Korea because I'm their friend or one of their good friends is a Korean.
I do notice there are Korea or Thailand supporters but much fewer compares to Japan supporters here in Singapore.
In terms of standard, Thailand might lose to Japan but I don't think Japan is better than Korea. From club levels to international levels, (no offend to Japan or Ninja) Korean clubs and national team have beaten Japanese clubs and national team more than losing them in statistic.
Ninja, I'm just stating what I have observed here. I'm not unhappy or anything. It's just that my friends and I are very curious about this. If you can explain to me the reasons, I'll be happy to know.
and for 798's saying that the 3rd/4th placing Korea-Japan game is more interesting. Is it because of Japan?
Well, Ninja and I know the reasons about the Japan - Korea game. It's always very interesting for several reasons. It'll be interesting if it's a China-Japan too. But for Singaporeans, why are they interested? Is it because they support Japan?
SumOne or Ordinaryguy32, maybe you can explain to me too.
Cheers. [/b]
j league are also more reputable than the korean league.
its no surprise that people like japan more. -
Well at least i get to see them play against one another. And with an automatic berth at stake for the 3rd place team for the nest Asian Football Cup, hopefully we'll get to see another entertainment match.
Both teams do seem to take up many chances in the dead ball situations. But i do see Japan having an upper hand in this fixture. Korea football will not be going any further unless they produce a striker who can score in the likes of Anh Jung Hwang or Hong. I dun set my hopes high too much on the current strikers in this squad, Je Jin is still good in the air, while dong guk is a shadow of his former self (lack of self confidence or is he afraid of aggrevating his injury?), Ju yong who was not included in the squad, well we'll see if he matures and regains his foothold in the squad again (if he learns to follow orders from the coach and not complain)..
As for the Final Showdown , i have to applaud Iraq for their spirit. But sadly, they are facing a saudi team who is pretty much superior in all departments, i just think the Saudis creativeness will put an end to their dream here. But nevertheless, Iraq made it to the finals, something of a dream come true oredi, so who's complaining i guess?
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But it's only later that they became more successful. And their world cup history is still not lthat long yet. J-league more reputable? Korean clubs won more than Japanese clubs. Head to Head records between the clubs of the 2 countries, Korea leads. It's the same case in national teams too from youth to senior level.Originally posted by dragg:japan won the last 3 asian cup.
j league are also more reputable than the korean league.
its no surprise that people like japan more.
I believe it's the image of the country in modern days that influence. It's the 2nd largest economy in the world. -
I think you get him wrong. Not Hong Myung Bo. It's Hwang Sun Hong.Originally posted by 4getmenot:Well at least i get to see them play against one another. And with an automatic berth at stake for the 3rd place team for the nest Asian Football Cup, hopefully we'll get to see another entertainment match.
Both teams do seem to take up many chances in the dead ball situations. But i do see Japan having an upper hand in this fixture. Korea football will not be going any further unless they produce a striker who can score in the likes of Anh Jung Hwang or Hong. I dun set my hopes high too much on the current strikers in this squad, Je Jin is still good in the air, while dong guk is a shadow of his former self (lack of self confidence or is he afraid of aggrevating his injury?), Ju yong who was not included in the squad, well we'll see if he matures and regains his foothold in the squad again (if he learns to follow orders from the coach and not complain)..
As for the Final Showdown , i have to applaud Iraq for their spirit. But sadly, they are facing a saudi team who is pretty much superior in all departments, i just think the Saudis creativeness will put an end to their dream here. But nevertheless, Iraq made it to the finals, something of a dream come true oredi, so who's complaining i guess?
Captain hong Myung Bo was a defender.
Did you readmy earlier message. Like I said before, I really respect the Iraqis. Their country has been ravaged by years of war, yet they can produce good quality etc......you can go scroll back and read.
About whose upper hand, well.. it's from the surface of it.
Sometimes we have to put things this way -----> There are 5 teams, A, B, C, D and E. team A and B are long time rivals. Team A seems to be having difficult time in playing team C, D and E and team B always have no problem producing result against team C,D and E but tend to lose or finding it hard when facing team A. This is the what I mean when Korea meet Japan, especially starting from the 90s till recent times.
Actually, I said before, the selection by Verbeek has problem. Ahn Jung Hwan is still around. We were all hoping that he could be selected. he's only 31. Is 31 too old? It's NOT. He can play his last major tournament this time. We were really disappointed when this talismanic striker is not selected.
These group of players are too young. And the senior like Song Chong Guk that Verbeek selected are not allowed to play but sat on the bench instead.
The young Park Joo Young not selected, Lee Eul Young not selected. he selected the shortie choi Sung Kuk instead.
The coach is very important, not only the players. We need a balance of young and old. If everyone is so young, the team won't go far unless it's the under 20 tournament. Talking about Asia under-20, Korea has won no problem winning the title . Record show that it is only country that had grabbed the youth title more than any other Asian countries.
I've stated the facts. Anyway, this team in the Asian Cup is currently having some problem. Changes will be done by KFA I'm sure. It's the lack of news or information on Korean soccer and its players that resulted in the misinformation or lack of understanding of Korean soccer. Especially in English.. -
All the friends here, this weekend we will see through the end of the Asian Cup 2007. This forum might also be less active shortly after the final game. It's been such good time sharing opinion and discussion with one another.
I really thank all of you for supporting this forum and make this forum a success. On many occasions, I do see friendly forums become fighting, swearing and cursing forums. That's unhealthy and ungentleman. Some people are just there to stir trouble or provoke anyone they see. That's childish also.
Therefore I'm very glad that all the members here are so supportive of one another. I started this forum and I would like to thank Shortninja who is currently living in Japan now for being so supportive and act as a co-host of this forum while I was away in Bangkok 2 weeks ago for a few days.
I would like to thank contributors like a_Lost_9uy, pervertboi, boredtulan, hiphop2009, Cristiano@Red_Devils.com, xfool, omgukilledkenny, adolez, Manager 433, Lazerlordz, weiqimun, borgkilla, DC+, HyuugaNeji, jiaweiwei87 and 798 even though it's only 1 to 3 contribution from each of them. I really appreciate as long as you have supported this forum.
Next, I also have to give credits to dragg, 4getmenot and crazy monkey for their active contributions too.
SumOne, ordinaryguy32 and Short ninja, without the 3 of you, our forum would have frozen 2 weeks ago. I'll not forget your support. I know that all three of you are really nice.
Short Ninja, Korea-Japan soccer battle will continue to produce healthy rivalry. You're a great friend of mine over here although in Singapore, I don't have many locals who support me and my team. You have more.
Now I'm in Singapore, besides my friends, I hardly see Singaporeans who support Korea. I believe 80% of the members here are supportive of Japan, (which until now, I find no convincing reason why it's so
) It's ok, this is for people who support Asian football. But if there are people who support Korea, I'll be happy to know
Anyway, once again, I thank all of you!!!
Please continue this forum at least until the final whistle of the final.
Good Luck to the team you support! -
Yes, i know , i was mentioning striker Hong, not the defender Hong, and believe me, i know more about the kroean team and its players than u could ever imagine.. besides i was in korea during the world cup 2002Originally posted by Jaeyoon:I think you get him wrong. Not Hong Myung Bo. It's Hwang Sun Hong.
Captain hong Myung Bo was a defender.
Did you readmy earlier message. Like I said before, I really respect the Iraqis. Their country has been ravaged by years of war, yet they can produce good quality etc......you can go scroll back and read.
About whose upper hand, well.. it's from the surface of it.
Sometimes we have to put things this way -----> There are 5 teams, A, B, C, D and E. team A and B are long time rivals. Team A seems to be having difficult time in playing team C, D and E and team B always have no problem producing result against team C,D and E but tend to lose or finding it hard when facing team A. This is the what I mean when Korea meet Japan, especially starting from the 90s till recent times.
Actually, I said before, the selection by Verbeek has problem. Ahn Jung Hwan is still around. We were all hoping that he could be selected. he's only 31. Is 31 too old? It's NOT. He can play his last major tournament this time. We were really disappointed when this talismanic striker is not selected.
These group of players are too young. And the senior like Song Chong Guk that Verbeek selected are not allowed to play but sat on the bench instead.
The young Park Joo Young not selected, Lee Eul Young not selected. he selected the shortie choi Sung Kuk instead.
The coach is very important, not only the players. We need a balance of young and old. If everyone is so young, the team won't go far unless it's the under 20 tournament. Talking about Asia under-20, Korea has won no problem winning the title . Record show that it is only country that had grabbed the youth title more than any other Asian countries.
I've stated the facts. Anyway, this team in the Asian Cup is currently having some problem. Changes will be done by KFA I'm sure. It's the lack of news or information on Korean soccer and its players that resulted in the misinformation or lack of understanding of Korean soccer. Especially in English.. 
Every coach have their reason for picking the players to the teams, although i am disappointed with Veebek with his selection, he probably was looking beyond the current veteran players, it could also be contibuted to other factors like injuries, lose of form and most of all, match fitnesson some players.
Every koreans should stop comparing every new coaches prior to Hiddink, hiddink was different, Hiddink had the best bunch with the best experience and most of all, they were match fit and injury free and he was able to gel the players together easily since most of them were local based (not many were foreign based prior to world cup 2002). Now we know that several key players a re not even onboard this round due to injuries, who knows how far it would have gone if there were. Whats missing in this korean team is a striker who can score, and if they do find one, then korea will emerge from its past glorious shadow to pose a challange to the middle east teams again.. -
on iraq vs saudi who do u all think will win?
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I always felt that the Korean team had a better work ethic, compared to the Japanese team. In the last WC, the gulf was quite evident..
I think Iraq may just beat the Saudis. They need this Asian Cup, it will help to unite their people.. -
After watching Korea lose and just before the Saudi game I almost wanted to say that if Japan lose their game "I will cut" ( I think Singaporeans know this meaning)
but luckily I didnt have to eat my words or cut anything The whole of Japan were so sure about victory and I bet Korea was too.I am not sure about Korean mentality when it comes to sportsmanship but I can safely say that Japanese are not very sporting when it comes to losing.As children are taught from young to aim for the sky and so getting second or third place can be very depressing.Either you are the champion or you are still a loser at the end.One good consolation is that Japan gets to play Korea for the 3rd/4th placing probably to Jaeyoon and me this will just be another exciting exhibition match but at least winning or losing doesn't matter this time.We see many teams play soccer with their hearts not just for country but for their respective people,this Sunday one such team is going to reach for the sky and we must all be behind this team....and then after that the Lions would feel very shiok to think that....Ok nevermind -
cuz at that time we had the tidak apa Zico in charged now we have Oosim and all will change in time .I heard the soccer pitch in Jakarta is not really good.....like playing on the moon so yeah why not? IRAQ IRAQ IRAQOriginally posted by LazerLordz:I always felt that the Korean team had a better work ethic, compared to the Japanese team. In the last WC, the gulf was quite evident..
I think Iraq may just beat the Saudis. They need this Asian Cup, it will help to unite their people.. -
mental wise i presume iraq stronger
technique wise saudi stronger.
hard to decide where to put my $$ -
i hope iraq wins.
they really need something to cheer about. -
Now its the arabs time again.....
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The Saudis have also been riding high with confidence and the only way to break this is to attack them viciously in the first 20 minutes or so for that early goal.Still they are shaky at the back and Iraq must keep on testing the Saudi keeper with all kinds of shots.Both teams are very fast at the counter attack and the match could easily go both ways.If you get 1 ball for Iraq you can play $$$ but if the market is 1/2 and 1 ball -Dont scared you can still play play .Good Luck
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The ancient name for Japan was Yamato (as in the battleship Yamato) then it became Nippon as it was also called 'Hino noboru kuni' which means "The land of the rising sun" that was also once upon a very long long time.The Portuguese /Spanish seafarrers called this land 'Japon' (J pronounce with a H) and so today we are known as Japan in English.Originally posted by Jaeyoon:Ninja, not Sunday. It's Saturday. When Korea versus Japan, we call Han - il Jeon. Han is Korea, il is Japan, Jeon means battle.
il means Sun in Korean. nippon in Japanese is il-bon in Korean
han-guk is korea. han is short for hanguk
Thus han - il jeon. In mandarin, it's han ri zhan. what's it in Japanese? -
Verbeek Likely to Remain Despite Asian Cup Setback
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Pim Verbeek's stint with the South Korean national football team will not come to an end despite a disappointing loss to Iraq in the Asian Cup semifinals.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said that it doesn't have any plan to release the Dutch coach.
``The Asian Cup is not over yet. As Korea has to battle against Japan Saturday for third place, we need to encourage him, not disturb him,'' KFA secretary general Ka Sam-hyun said after the semifinal match.
Lee Young-moo, chairman of the technical committee, was also negative on removing Verbeek when Korea sneaked into the quarterfinal with a record of 1-1 with one draw, saying, ``It is an issue to talk about after the Asian Cup.''
KFA president Chung Mong-joon backs Verbeek.
``We cannot win and score in every single match,'' he said in a media interview.
In the post-game press conference, Verbeek shared the same opinion with the KFA.
``I made my decision already but I am not going to say what it is because I want to keep the Korean people excited for the next couple of days,'' he said.
``But if the Korean fans think we didn't play a good tournament, they must have a different vision of playing international football.
``If people think that it's not enough that's okay because I have no problem with that.''
However, during the Asian Cup, the football governing body found the national squad to be knocked by Korean football fans due to its poor performances.
Although several key players like Premiership trio Park Ji-sung, Seol Ki-hyeon and Lee Young-pyo and veteran defender Kim Nam-il missed the quadrennial football contest due to injuries, Verbeek's side managed to net three goals in five games, depending on monotonous offensive patterns and low athleticism.
As a matter of fact, the KFA fired manager Johannes Franciscus Bonfrere due to deteriorated public opinion caused by the national team's sloppy play.
Since last August, Verbeek has led the Olympic football team as well as the national team.
When he took control, he suggested three things he wanted to achieve within his term _ Winning the Asian Cup, claiming a gold medal in the Doha Asian Games and advancing the final round of the Beijing Olympics.
South Korea lost to Iraq in the semifinal of the Asian Games.
He has already tasted setbacks in the first two of his ambitions and the last is brewing.
The final qualifying round for the Beijing Olympics starts next month.
If the KFA plans to change coaches, it will be tough to find an experience leader within one month. -
Korea, Japan Vie for Third Spot
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
With its dreams for an Asian Cup trophy shattered by Iraq, South Korea will look for the consolation prize of a third-place finish against defending champions Japan in Jakarta this evening. The winner of the match will be awarded with an automatic spot in the next Asian Cup.
Tonight's match-up is what many Asian football fans had hoped and expected for the final, which would have added another page to one of the greatest regional rivalries in the sports world.
However, the Taeguk Warriors finally saw their luck run out against a spirited Iraqi team, losing 4-3 on penalties, a deserving conclusion to a streak of five, uninspiring performances that saw the team score only three goals in that span.
Japan, which looked much more potent than their East Asian rivals, had the misfortune of running into a football juggernaut in Saudi Arabia in the semifinals.
For South Korean manager Pim Verbeek, who predicted a title ahead of the tournament, it would be important for his players to show they still have a pulse, with his future with the national team hanging by a thread.
It's questionable whether the team could finally find its form, which would still be a game too late.
With injuries wiping out nearly half of his starting lineup ahead of the tournament _ including midfielders Park Ji-sung (Manchester United), Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham), Seol Ki-hyeon (Reading) and Kim Nam-il (Suwon Samsung) _ Verbeek opted for a defensive approach, packing the midfield with five players to cover a four-back defensive line while sending out a lone striker as the offensive point-man.
It would be hard to qualify the 4-5-1, or 4-2-3-1 and whatever the Korean press chose to call it, as a success.
Although the enlarged midfield allowed the Koreans to hold a larger share of possession, and thus grind the game down to a slower pace as they prefer, it clearly compromised the offense as goal-scoring chances were rare with the target man finding himself isolated for long stretches.
Verbeek's forwards had to be clinical with the sporadic chances they got from the net, and they failed miserably. Middlesbrough forward Lee Dong-gook, Asian Cup's second all-time scorer with 10 goals, played with an alarming lack of urgency that defied, or perhaps explained, his deer-in-the-headlights expressions.
Shimizu S-Pulse forward Cho Jae-jin is proving once again that is gifted with the body of a great striker but not the head.
It bears further watching whether Verbeek would try switching two a 4-4-2 for the Japan match to find an answer to the team's scoring doubt, which would give him the opportunity to pair Lee or Cho with Ulsan Hyundai winger Lee Chun-soo, who stepped up as perhaps Korea's best player during this tournament with his relentless attack on the right flank.
The two-man front would be a worthy experiment, especially with defensive backs Kim Chi-woo and Oh Beom-seok displaying enough skills and pace to support the attack in transition. The talents of holding midfielders Kim Jung-woo and Son Dae-ho also suit better to the defensive roles they would likely be assigned to under a 4-4-2 system.
However, Verbeek would be reluctant to play a transition game against Japan, and compromise their share of possession with a smaller midfield, considering the opponent's potent attack led by the brilliance of star-striker Naohiro Takahara and playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura.