Drama as Korea coach apologises to player
By Onochie Anibeze, Qatar
Should a coach pledge to win a match for a player or should the player take up such responsibility and so pledge?
This matter came up here in the ongoing Asian Cup that ends on Saturday with three time champions Japan taking on Australia in the final.
Ordinarily, players pledge to win matches for their coach or teams. But the iconic status of Park Ji_Sung changed all that here in Qatar. The Manchester 29 –year_old Manchester United star is one of Asia’s greatest players of all time. He had been instrumental to South Korea’s runs here and when they were to play Japan for a place in the final team coach Cho Kwang_Rae made it an emotional one for him.
“Park Ji_Sung is the greatest sportsman in South Korea and when we play Japan, it will be his 100th cap. I want to honour him with a victory. I want to win the match for him for he has done a lot for our football,” the coach said.
Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan in action during the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 Group A qualifier football match between Japan and Bahrain at Toyota Stadium on March 3, 2010 in Toyota, Japan.
Sung looked forward to the game with such emotion and tried to outdo everybody. He carried much on his shoulders that just in the 13th minute he earned referee’s caution probably because of over enthusiasm.
And after Japan harassed them in the first ten minutes, he gradually but steadily stabilized the game for his side who eventually took the lead in the 22nd minute through a penalty converted by Ki Sung Yueng. The half ended 1_1 and Japan were to take the lead in extra time. Three seconds to end of the extra time, Korea sensationally equalised but still lost the eventual penalty shoot_out.
It was a dramatic end of the road for Sung’s target of getting to the final, probably winning the cup and retiring from international football.
“We showed we could play and never gave up. It’s a pity we lost through penalties and I wouldn’t want Sung to retire now. The game is changing and emphasis now is on the youth. Sung can help me in the ongoing project of building new team around young players. We still need his experience as we turn to younger players,” coach Cho Kwang_Rae said after the loss, adding “I feel disappointed we didn’t win the match on Sung’s 100th cap. I’m sorry but we are still on.”
Korea will Friday play the third place match against Uzbekistan were bashed 6_0 by Australia.
The respect Kwang has for Sung was being commended here and it may compel Sung to suspend his retirement for now. Hong Myung Bo still holds Korea’s record of 136 caps. He retired in 2002. Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup and will continue host many events as a prelude to the World Cup that they have vowed to make special, even changing the atmospheric temperature to sooth great playing conditions.
They are bidding to host the Handball World Cup in 2015 and if they win, it will be the first time the Handball World Cup will be held in the region.
The ongoing Asia Cup has been almost flawless in terms of organisation and the march to 2022 has begun.
Spokesman of the Qatar 2022 Bid, Christian Fianco confirmed yesterday that the country will, in March, set a Local Organising Committee for the 2022 World Cup.
