"The Korean national team, formed of players younger than age 23, showed a very high standard, very rare to see these days in Korean soccer games, in the two friendly games against Yugoslavia and it can be said that Korea has found the ideal type of football we can present at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup," the former national coach said in excitement.


The Korean National Football Team tied 0-0 on Sunday at the Chamshil Olympic Main Stadium against the Yugoslav Team, which is ranked the world's 11th by FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Associations) and has 15 players who participated in the 1998 France World Cup. To such a extravagant group of soldiers, as the world's 43rd in ranking, Korea ventured a challenge and played well.

On Tuesday, the Korean team tied again 0-0 at the Songnam Stadium Complex. The Korean team was analyzed as having promising players, quasi-perfect in defence, but still lacking in confident plays.


Kim concluded the two games Korea played against Yugoslavia were a confirmation that Korea has overcome the old days where football was played without much technique or organization, but only with spirit and physical strength, and he gave the new millennium Korean team a high 90 marks out of 100. "The only flaw is the lack of ability to successfully score goals," Kim said, but added it was good to see the players were playing "strategic football" with a specific strategy in mind reminding him of an an English reporter once suggested that "football is a sport combined of three elements; war, chess, and ballet." Kim stated he was sure Korea will soon master the chess and ballet to become one of the strongest countries in football.


(Hong Heon-pyo, bowler1@chosun.com)