[KS] Korean and other Asian footballers in England
Afostercarter at aol.com
Afostercarter at aol.com
Sun Oct 1 04:15:05 EDT 2006
Dear friends and colleagues,
This may be of interest, on several levels;
not least to students of image and representation.
(Highlightings are mine.)
Much as we academics deplore national stereotyping,
this Singaporean journalist evidently has no such compunction.
Or might some of it even be true, as he evidently believes?
(I don't follow sport at all, so for all I know people may
talk like this all the time in such circles, quite unaffectedly. Do they?)
Chusok greetings to one and all,
Aidan
AIDAN FOSTER-CARTER
Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds University
Home address: 17 Birklands Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3BY, UK
tel: +44(0) 1274 588586 (alt) +44(0) 1264 737634 mobile:
+44(0) 7970 741307
fax: +44(0) 1274 773663 ISDN: +44(0) 1274 589280
Email: afostercarter at aol.com (alt) afostercarter at yahoo.com website:
www.aidanfc.net
[Please use @aol; but if any problems, please try @yahoo too - and let me
know, so I can chide AOL]
________________
http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.70300a17785a04285f53bcd7d3a0a0a0/?vgnextfmt=vgnartid:9758b054fcffd010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&
vgnextoid=9758b054fcffd010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD
MAKING A NAME IN THE MOST POPULAR FOOTBALL LEAGUE, South Koreans Park Ji Sung
(above), Lee Young Pyo and Seol Ki Hyeon have commanded a regular place in
the starting line-ups of their respective clubs. -- PHOTOS: AP, REUTERS
Oct 1, 2006
Why Koreans are hot in EPL [English Premier League - AFC]
Their superior fitness and speed make them more successful than their
Japanese and Chinese counterparts
By Leonard Lim
TIDBIT No 1: Park Ji Sung is flat-footed, but has played for two top European
sides and in two World Cups so far.
Tidbit No 2: He has been nicknamed 'Three-lung Park' by Manchester United
fans for his endless running.
His pace, stamina and determination are attributes typical of Korean
footballers.
Not surprisingly, he and compatriots Lee Young Pyo (Tottenham) and Seol Ki
Hyeon (Reading) have been able to settle into the Premiership better than other
Asian players.
Their attributes are well suited to the English game, which is characterised
by quick attacks and an open running style.
With cup (and sometimes European) games thrown in, players can be asked to
play two or three matches a week.
This calls for a very high level of fitness, which the Koreans have no
problem matching.
Two other Asians currently play in the Premiership. They are China's Li Tie
(Sheffield United) and Sun Jihai (Manchester City).
Both have yet to start this season.
Other Asians who have made forays into the EPL, albeit unsuccessfully,
include Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata, Akinori Nishizawa (both Bolton) and Junichi
Inamoto (Arsenal, Fulham and West Brom), and China's Qu Bo (Tottenham).
So what sets the Koreans apart from the other Asian players?
Their high-tempo football, which allows them to adapt quickly to the
Premiership.
Said Robert Alberts, former director of coaching at the South Korean Football
Association: 'If you look at the respective national teams and leagues, you
would notice that the Korean style of play is very fast and aggressive.
'This is very similar to the English game.
'The Japanese employ a slow build-up when attacking. The emphasis is on
tactical and technical play.
'As for China, they are still finding the right structure. A lot of their
play is based on individual skill.'
Because of their different styles, the Japanese and Chinese players take time
to blossom in the EPL. A few simply rot.
Not so the Koreans. Their searing pace is something fans have come to expect
since Guus Hiddink's super-fit team surprised many at the 2002 World Cup.
They reached the semi-finals with a combination of tireless running and
lightning-quick attacks, claiming Italy and Spain's scalps along the way.
Said ESPN presenter John Dykes: 'Koreans are physical, competitive and
hardworking. This makes them better suited for the physical demands of the EPL than
perhaps the more creative but less physically dominant players.'
Because English teams adopt a fast and physical approach, players have to
cover a lot of space. Hence the need for speed and stamina, which suits the
Koreans fine.
Alex Ferguson said at the start of this season that Park 'has been blessed
with good stamina, a great attitude and good character'.
That the 25-year-old has been able to command a regular place at Old
Trafford, where competition is keen, speaks volumes of his talent.
Seol, a pre-season signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers, has played a key
role in newly promoted Reading's success so far.
In the club's Premiership debut against Middlesbrough, the forward had a hand
in two goals in their stunning 3-2 comeback win.
Said Reading skipper Graeme Murty: 'Seol was fantastic. When we gave him the
ball, he caused problems.
'For his first game at this level, it indicates what a good signing he is.'
On Sept 16, Seol scored his first Premiership goal as Reading won 2-1 at
Sheffield United.
Korea Herald sports editor Shin Yong Bae told The Sunday Times: 'Seol seems
to be exceptional in adapting to life in the EPL.'
Spending the past two seasons in the English Championship, another physically
demanding league, with Wolves certainly helped.
Lee, Park's former team-mate at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, took just one month
to establish himself in the Spurs defence last season.
He started 31 league matches and helped Martin Jol's side to fifth spot and a
Uefa Cup place.
Jol had tracked Lee since his PSV days, and was full of praise for him.
'Lee is quite small, but very strong. His energy levels are such that, as
they say in Holland, he could play three games at once,' the Dutchman once said.
In today's modern game of tight schedules and high-octane matches, the
importance of stamina cannot be over-emphasised.
Said Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez two weeks ago: 'Two days ago, I was
watching Arsenal versus Liverpool from 1998. It was unbelievable, the difference
in tempo.
'They played well but it was very different. Now the players fly. You need to
think quicker, run quicker, do everything quicker.'
Because of their lack of endurance, the Japanese and Chinese have struggled
with the punishing schedule and pace of the EPL.
For the Chinese, this has caused them to be injured easily.
In the 2003-04 season, Li Tie, then at Everton, was benched with injuries
after an impressive season earlier. He was never able to break into the first
team again.
Since moving to the Blades on a free transfer in the summer, Li has appeared
in only one Carling Cup game.
In the Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore on Sept 6, the defensive
midfielder struggled to impose himself and looked short of match fitness.
Sun, who moved to City in 2002, has been plagued by hamstring, knee and ankle
injuries.
The 2003-04 campaign was his best season. Since then, he has never commanded
a regular slot.
As for the Japanese, their talent is unquestionable. But they lack
consistency.
Take for instance Nakata, arguably Japan's most famous football export. His
play was characterised by excellent set-pieces and pinpoint passes, but he was
unable to reproduce this week in and week out.
At Arsenal and Bolton respectively, Inamoto and Nishizawa appeared in only
the Carling Cup. At Inamoto's other EPL clubs, he often faded after bright
starts.
The Japanese players' strength lie in their technical skills, making them
more suitable for slower leagues such as Italy's Serie A.
Before his move to Bolton, Nakata had shone at Roma and Parma, winning the
league title and Italian Cup respectively.
Physical attributes aside, the Koreans' culture of deference may also have
won them friends.
According to Dykes, many Premiership managers say the Koreans are disciplined
both on and off the pitch.
Almost always, they are respectful to their manager, teammates, fans and the
media.
Park and company can certainly teach bad-boy Wayne Rooney a thing or two
about courtesy.
limze at sph.com.sg
_________________
English Premiership's Korean contingent
Park Ji Sung
Age: 25 Height: 1.73m Weight: 70kg
Position: Attacking midfielder /winger
Transfer: June 2005 from PSV Eindhoven for £4 million (S$12 million).
Playing history (appearances, goals)
2000-2003: Kyoto Purple Sanga (76, 11)
2003-2005: PSV Eindhoven (64, 13)
2005-present: Manchester United (37, 2)
Out for about three months after injuring his ankle in the 1-0 win over Spurs
on Sept 9. His ability to command a regular place last season despite the
keen competition at Old Trafford, speaks volumes. The first Korean in the EPL, he
made his debut on Aug 13 last year in Man U's 2-0 win over Everton.
________________________________________
Lee Young Pyo
Age: 29 Height: 1.78m Weight: 67kg
Position: Left-back
Transfer: August 2005 from PSV Eindhoven for £1.4 million
Playing history
2000-2002: Anyang LG Cheetahs (70, 3)
2002-2005: PSV Eindhoven (82, 1)
2005-present: Tottenham (34, 0)
Hailed as ''the best left-back in Holland'' by Spurs manager Martin Jol
following his switch from PSV Eindhoven, Lee is also comfortable in central
midfield. He took only a month to establish himself as a regular in the Spurs
backline following his transfer last year.
________________________________________
Seol Ki Hyeon
Age: 27
Height: 1.83m Weight: 73kg
Position: Striker
Transfer: July 2006 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1 million
Playing history
2000-01: Antwerp (25, 10)
2001-05: Anderlecht (72, 18)
2004-06: Wolverhampton Wanderers (69, 8)
2006: Reading (6, 1)
Started in all of Reading's Premiership matches, setting up two goals in
their surprise opening-day 3-2 win over Middlesbrough. Scored his first
Premiership goal in the 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Sept 16.
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