TM ahead of South Korea | Discussion, Photos, Videos...

[Matador]

Is Uzbek missing anyone?

[Prince of Fasa]

I don't know where that is coming from. Check out the links to the match reports:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...824/index.html

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...834/index.html

Wook got these two yellows in the final qualifying round (first one against Qatar, his second against Uzbek). He should be suspended.

lets hope they field this guy and end up loosing the match 3-0, nice bit of revenge for the last to asian cups and of course for squandering our chances of qualifying for the 2010 world cup in seoul on the last matchday

[Keano]

South Korea's recent football track record speaks for itself, below you will find a chart of their WC qualifiers since June 2012, you could clearly see that this team has been on a constant decline and result/performance deterioration, just check this out for yourselves:





I am telling you guys this Korea is beatable, now I don't suggest that we will certainly beat them next week, but I assure you that we won't be beaten either!

[bahbah]

S.KOREA LINE UP AGAINST IRAN (IN IRAN)
1.Jung Sung Ryong(YES,PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
2.Yoon Suk Young (NOT PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
3.Jung In Hwan((YES,PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
4.Kwak Tae Hwi(NOT PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
5.Oh Beom Suk (NOT PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
6.Ki Sung Yong(NOT PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
7.Park Jong Woo(NOT PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
8.Kim Bo Kyung(YES, PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
9.Lee Keun Ho(YES, PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
10.Kim Shin Wook(NOT, PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)
11.Park Chu Young(NOT, PLAY THE NEXT GAME AGAINST IRAN)

he will play against IRAN, it was his third Yellow Card. He was already yellow carded in the third round of the qualification.

[Ando Teymourian]

^^ I don't think that picture is recent.

I clearly see Mohammad Gholami in the front and Karim Ansarifard in the background, neither of which are with our squad at the moment :P

[pajamNL]

i really hope we will beat the Koreans, but i'm doubtful

[webmaster]

Closer to World Cup berth, S. Korea hoping for quick recovery of injured veteran

SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- On the verge of qualifying for its eight consecutive FIFA World Cup, South Korea is hoping for a quick recovery of an injured veteran, national team officials said Wednesday.


South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 on Tuesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium, taking a major step forward in its quest to advance to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Kim Nam-il, a 36-year-old midfielder who has played in three World Cups, wasn't on the team that fought off Uzbekistan. A left hamstring injury forced Kim out of the lineup, only a week after he had played in a 1-1 draw against Lebanon in Beirut.


A national team official said Kim is eyeing a return to the roster for South Korea's final Asian qualifier against Iran next Tuesday in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
"Kim is currently undergoing treatment on his left hamstring," the official said. "We're trying our best (with the treatment and rehab) so that he'll be ready against Iran."
The win over Uzbekistan keeps South Korea at the top of Group A at 14 points. Iran, which defeated Lebanon 4-0 at home Tuesday night, is in second place at 13 points, followed by Uzbekistan at 11.


The top two teams from the group will earn automatic berths at the 2014 World Cup. South Korea will advance with at least a draw and theoretically, even a loss to Iran could put South Korea in the World Cup finals.


If Uzbekistan defeats Qatar and South Korea falls to Iran next Tuesday, then South Korea and Uzbekistan will be tied at 14 points. South Korea, however, currently holds a substantial advantage in the goal difference tiebreaker, plus-7 to plus-1. This means Uzbekistan will need to rout Qatar and hope Iran does the same against South Korea.
South Korean head coach Choi Kang-hee insisted Tuesday night that his team will go all out against Iran and try to qualify for the tournament with a victory before a home crowd. Kim Nam-il, if healthy, could assume an integral role in Choi's plans.


The match against Lebanon was Kim's first international appearance since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He had largely been overshadowed by younger and more athletic midfielders in ensuing years, but Choi was duly impressed with Kim's performance with Incheon United in the K League Classic, the top league in South Korea, and tabbed him to be his starting midfielder in Beirut.


The player known as "Vacuum Cleaner" for his defensive prowess played the entire match but struggled mightily against the Middle Eastern players. And before he even got his second chance, Kim sustained the injury during practice on Sunday.


Park Jong-woo, a key player on the bronze medal-winning South Korean team at the London Olympics, and national team rookie Lee Myoung-ju assumed the roles as defensive midfielders on Tuesday. Lee had a breakout performance on both ends and was named the Man of the Match, while Park was at his usual, steady self.


Park, however, received a yellow for his second consecutive international contest and has been ruled ineligible against Iran, leaving another hole in midfield.
After his impressive international debut, Lee will likely get another starting nod against Iran. And national team officials are hoping Kim will recover in time to provide some leadership and stability alongside Lee.


"Athletes are so fit that they can recover from injuries like this a lot faster than normal people," said a second national team official. "Kim's injury is not too serious, and he should be available against Iran."

[eerooni]

Is Uzbek missing anyone?

Thier mind if they think they can knock Iran out of WC!!

[webmaster]

and here is a photo of Team Melli arriving in Seoul

note what they say underneath :-)

[webmaster]

Taegeuk Warriors control own fate in final qualifier vs. Iran

June 13,2013

	Uzbekistan’s Akmal Shorakhmedov, left, scores an own goal against Korea during their Group A qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea won, 1-0.[AP/NEWSIS]

An eighth successive World Cup berth is in sight, but Choi Kang-hee’s squad is resolute to win it in style.

After a 1-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Seoul Tuesday night, the Korean national football coach said that his team will be going all out to beat Iran.

With the win on a 43rd-mintue own goal by Akmal Shorakhmedov at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, Korea improved to 14 points and has almost secured a top-two finish in closely contested Group A. Iran, which routed Lebanon, 4-0, early yesterday morning in Korean time, is a point behind.

Uzbekistan, which entered the Korean game on the same 11 points, will have to overcome a huge goal difference with Korea even if it wins its final qualifier against Qatar. It also has to wait for Korea to lose to Iran to have a shot for its first-ever World Cup appearance.

Still, Choi said that he seeks to get back at Iran.

“Regardless of whether we qualify for the World Cup or not, we will do our best in an Iran match,” Choi said after Tuesday’s match.

Korea will wrap up the qualifying round for the 2014 Brazil World Cup with a match against Iran at the Munsu World Cup Stadium in Ulsan on Tuesday.

“Iran is an opponent that we have always crossed paths with on a crucial stage,” Choi said. “Besides, we took a loss in the previous away match.”

Korea knelt down to a 10-man Iran team, 1-0, in Tehran in October, after going through what it believed was Iran’s intentional disturbance of its preparation, including limited practice time at a low-quality stadium.

Choi said that he prefers to see Uzbekistan qualify for a seat at Brazil, rather than Iran, which will only be possible if Korea beats Iran.

Uzbekistan’s victory over Qatar, plus a draw in the Korea-Iran match would leave Iran and Uzbekistan level on 14 points. But, Iran is ahead of Uzbekistan in goal differential by four, meaning Uzbekistan will have to beat Qatar by at least four goals.

“We will cause pain to Iran and get prepared [for the Iran match] with that mind-set,” Choi said.

Two teams from the five-country Group A will get an automatic slot to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the third-place finisher must enter two-leg playoffs with a South American team.

Korea will have to take a detour to get in if it loses to Iran by a huge margin and Uzbekistan beats Qatar by a huge margin. Korea scored seven goals more than it allowed, while Uzbekistan has only a one-goal surplus.

It is the first time in 20 years Korea has yet to seal its fate before the final qualifier match.

On Oct. 28, 1993, the Taegeuk Warriors routed North Korea, 3-0, in its final qualifier, but had to wait to see the result of another match that day between Japan and Iraq. Japan, who was two points ahead of South Korea, was held to a 2-2 draw with Iraq, and South Korea advanced on goal difference over Japan, as a runner-up to Saudi Arabia.

Korea secured a berth with two games remaining for the 1998 France World Cup, one game remaining for the 2006 Germany World Cup and two games remaining for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Choi’s squad will enter the Iran match with a shallow midfield. Park Jong-woo must serve a one-game ban due to a yellow card the 24-year-old Busan I’Park midfielder received against Uzbekistan.

Choi also ruled out bringing back Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City and Koo Ja-cheol of Augsburg, who had been left off of the 25-member roster for the final three qualifiers.

Lee Myung-joo, a Pohang Steelers midfielder who made his A-match debut against Uzbekistan, will fill the gap. Lee started against Uzbekistan instead of Kim Nam-il, a three-time World Cup midfielder who was hurt during a practice on Monday.

It remains to be seen whether Choi will keep testing a changed attack formation that he displayed against Uzbekistan.

Instead of Lee Dong-gook, his long-time pupil at Jeonbuk Motors, Choi started Son Heung-min, putting the 20-year-old Bundesliga striker forward behind leading K-League striker Kim Shin-wook.

Lee replaced Lee Keun-ho in the second half and took over the backup striker position from Son, who was then sent to assume Lee Keun-ho’s position on the left wing.

“We need to be prepared for the Iran match in a whole different way,” Choi said. “I will select the players during a training session in Ulsan.”

The players were given the day off after the Uzbek match and will regroup today.

src: http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.c...home|newslist2

[webmaster]

Another article on New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/13/sp...s&emc=rss&_r=0

In Iran, Soccer and Politics Often Blend Together

Abedin Taherkenareh/European Pressphoto Agency


Iranian fans cheered during the team's World Cup qualifying match against Lebanon in Tehran on Tuesday. Iran won, 4-0.

By JOHN DUERDEN

Published: June 12, 2013

SEOUL — Soccer and politics are never far apart in Iran, but the mix is at its most combustible every four years in June when the country’s presidential elections take place at the same time that the beloved national team either qualifies for the World Cup or falls short, sometimes in heartbreaking fashion.

Just four days after the vote this Friday, the national team will be the focus of attention as it plays its final game of qualification for the 2014 Cup against South Korea.

That will conjure eerie echoes of June 17, 2009, when Iran played South Korea in a crucial qualifier in Seoul — and managed only a 1-1 draw, not enough to go on to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


The now-outgoing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had much at stake. He had just been re-elected in what the opposition denounced as a rigged vote. And, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2010, he is reputed to be a big soccer fan who had publicly put “a great deal of political capital in Iranian soccer” to bask in the game’s popularity and the bid to make the 2010 Cup.


But the failure was not the full story. That night, almost 70,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium, hundreds of media personnel and millions watching worldwide on television saw six members of the Iranian national team emerge on the field wearing green wristbands — a sign of support for Mir Hussein Moussavi, the presidential candidate who lost to Ahmadinejad.


The defeat of Moussavi sent thousands into the streets of Tehran in what was dubbed the Green Revolution, the color of Moussavi’s election campaign.
Within hours of the game in Seoul, there were reports of demonstrators in Tehran holding aloft pictures of the six players.


Afshin Ghotbi, who was appointed Iran’s national team coach in April 2009 after poor results under his predecessor, Ali Daei, led the team that night in South Korea.
The presidential election “politicized the entire qualification campaign,” Ghotbi said by telephone from Japan, where he is currently coaching. “It was hard for me to understand. I believe all Iranians wanted to see the team go to the World Cup. For me, the national team is not the team of the government, but the team of the people.”


Ghotbi, who left Tehran for California as a teenager in 1977, was well aware what World Cup qualification meant for the soccer-crazy Iranian people. He soon learned what it meant for Ahmadinejad.


Since becoming president in 2005, Ahmadinejad has visited the national team during training on numerous occasions. His most recent visit was last weekend as the players prepared for a vital home game against Lebanon on Tuesday, which Iran won, 4-0. (If Iran beats South Korea this coming Tuesday, it guarantees a spot in the World Cup next year, and it still could get in with a tie or a loss, depending on other results next week.)


Ahmadinejad also was rumored to have been involved in the hiring and firing of Daei as coach and in pushing for certain players to be included in national team rosters.
Ghotbi’s first 2010 World Cup qualifier was a trip to North Korea on June 6, 2009. Ahmadinejad provided the presidential plane so the team could return home as fast as possible for a must-win game against United Arab Emirates in Tehran just four days later. Iran won that game, 1-0.


Iran then failed to get the necessary victory in South Korea. “I do believe the distractions played a big part in our team’s concentration, performance and result,” Ghotbi said, referring to the mass demonstrations and clashes then going on in Tehran. “Our players saw the images on CNN and BBC upon our arrival in Seoul. They were also in communication with friends and family back in Iran, and the violence in the streets consumed their thoughts.”


Ghotbi claimed no prior knowledge of the wristbands. “I still do not know what happened behind the scenes in Seoul, why and who was behind it.”
Nor, he said, did he know why the bands were removed for the second half; he was focused on tactical issues. At the time, people close to the team suggested that there had been government officials in the locker room talking to the players at halftime.

The Iran team manager, Mansour Pourheidari, told reporters at the time that the wristbands were religious in nature. “This was not a political move, but rather players were using an Islamic symbol to defeat Korea,” Pourheidari was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency of Iran. “Because players felt the move may be mistaken for a political act, we asked the players to take off the wristbands.”



Despite rumors to the contrary, Ghotbi denied that the players had been punished upon their return to Tehran. While three of the players involved retired after the game, all were older than 30. Javad Nekounam was involved in wearing green in 2009 and, as captain, will lead the team in South Korea on Tuesday.


If all goes well and Iran qualifies for the 2014 World Cup, one of the first acts of the president-elect could be to welcome the victorious national team home, though even that might be problematic. The Iranian regime has been wary in the past of large crowds gathering to celebrate World Cup qualification — or mark its failure.
When Iran secured a place at the 1998 World Cup in a November 1997 playoff in Australia, the team was told to take its time coming home by a government concerned about the scale of celebrations in Tehran, especially with the involvement of women.


Nationwide riots broke out in 2001 after Iran was eliminated from the 2002 tournament by Bahrain. The situation was already tense in 2009. “We heard rumors that if the team had won, people would have poured onto the streets using the advancement to the World Cup as an excuse for more protests,” Ghotbi said.


James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and an expert in the relationship between soccer and politics in the Middle East, said that a repeat of the protests around the election this time was unlikely. “This year’s elections differ from those in 2009 by virtue of the fact that there are no opposition candidates. They have been disbarred. The choice is one between conservatives.”


Whether or not whoever is chosen as the new president is a soccer fan, Dorsey said, he will not be able to ignore the sport.
“It is too big an Iranian passion,” he said, “too much of an opportunity to miss to wield soft power and enhance personal and national prestige.”

[webmaster]

Iran demands Korean apology after 'bad manners' jibe

By Narae Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea coach Choi Kang-hee humiliated the Iranian people when he said he had been 'badly treated' in Tehran last year and wanted to stop the West Asian's qualifying for the World Cup, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz said on Thursday.


The top two sides in Group A of World Cup qualifying in Asia clash in Ulsan on Tuesday, while Uzbekistan host Qatar looking for a big victory to sneak ahead of the West Asians in the final round of matches.


South Korea have 14 points from seven matches and a strong goal difference of plus seven means they could lose to Iran and still qualify for Brazil.
Iran, who beat Lebanon 4-0 on Tuesday, have 13 points and a goal difference of plus five while Uzbekistan have 11 and a goal difference of plus one after they lost 1-0 to the Koreans in Seoul this week.


Despite that victory, Choi said there was little danger of his side easing off against Iran and said he would prefer it if Uzbekistan joined them in qualifying after suffering poor hospitality and bad manners during their 1-0 defeat in Tehran in October.


Queiroz, however, denied the claims after landing in Korea for the crunch clash where he hopes to secure a fourth World Cup finals appearance for Team Melli.
"Choi should apologise to the Iranian people," the Portuguese told reporters.


"He said the Korean team was badly treated in Iran but we gave the best treatment available. He humiliated the Iranian citizens."
A draw in Ulsan would secure automatic qualification for both Korea and Iran unless the Uzbeks can score a big win over Qatar, who are out of contention, which would push the West Asians into third and a playoff place.


The two third-place finishers in the Asian qualifying groups will face off over two legs with the winners advancing to take on a South American side in two matches for a berth in Brazil.
Because of the importance of goal difference, Queiroz was frantically gesticulating on the sidelines against Lebanon on Tuesday, keen for his side to rack up a bigger victory against their beaten and struggling opponents.


"It's never easy to score four goals, but I believed we deserved to score one more, especially in the dying minutes of the game," Queiroz said.
The Portuguese, though, was unhappy that the Koreans did not push on for a bigger victory in the latter stages of their match with Uzbekistan, where they appeared to tire and allow the visitors to dictate play.


"South Korea did not do its best in the game against Uzbekistan," the former Real Madrid coach said.
"I will buy an Uzbek uniform and give it to Choi as a present."

[webmaster]

^ Queiroz velkone moameleh nist.. damesh garm.. he is bugging the reporters there. here is a photo

[webmaster]

another pic of the arrival

[persianallstars]

ey vallah ostad Queiroz!!!