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HIDDINK in Corea
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2002-07-14 08:03:02 from 219.241 조회수 14 추천수 0
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Washington Post]
http:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20341-2002Jun20.html
Hiddink Becomes S. Korea
Coach Leads Red Devils Into Quarterfinal vs. Spain
By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 21, 2002; Page D01
SEOUL, June 20 -- South Koreans have expressed their gratitude to national team coach Guus Hiddink with banners at World Cup stadiums, with "I Love Hiddink" flags, with calls to run for public office, with free first-class airline tickets for four years, marriage proposals, honorary doctorates, city streets in his name, offers of an expedient citizenship process and suggestions for taking a Korean name (Hie Dung Gu, "Happy Climbing to the Top").
But you know things have really spiraled out of control when you see something like this: In one of the local English-language newspapers today, a guest columnist honored Hiddink by reciting (and altering) the lyrics from a song by the Carpenters.
What has the world (and the World Cup) come to?
One can only imagine the outpouring of love if Hiddink's high-energy squad defeats Spain on Saturday in Gwangju to advance to the semifinals.
"I'm happy for the players, for the team and for the people of Korea," said Hiddink, a 55-year-old native of the Netherlands who played one season with the Washington Diplomats in the North American Soccer League about 25 years ago. "It's unique what the Korean players have done so far."
While players such as Ahn Jung Hwan and Seol Ki Hyeon have become pop idols for their scoring exploits, Hiddink's popularity as an authority figure probably has surpassed that of President Kim Dae Jung.
Before the World Cup began, the goal of Korean leaders was to advance beyond the first round -- something a host nation's team has never failed to accomplish. Not only did the Red Devils advance, they won Group D ahead of the United States, Portugal and Poland, then upset Italy in the round of 16 to become the first Asian quarterfinalists since North Korea in 1966. (Few are saying it publicly, but the greatest satisfaction may have come from advancing further than co-host and longtime adversary Japan.)
"Korean football has changed a lot since I arrived here and the team spirit is nice," Hiddink said recently. "Three months ago this team was shy and timid, but now you can see that this squad is strong and players go onto the field to win."
Before this year, South Korea had never won a World Cup match in five previous appearances since 1954 (0-10-4). But after a 2-0 victory over Poland and a 1-1 tie with the United States, the Red Devils clinched the group title by edging highly regarded Portugal, 1-0. The sudden-death overtime victory over Italy on Tuesday in raucous Taejon sent the nation deeper into a soccer frenzy.
For the Spain match, more than 4 million fans (almost 10 percent of the population) are expected to watch on giant outdoor television screens positioned in hundreds of locations around the country. Most of the rest of the citizens will be watching at home or in restaurants; on Tuesday 72.4 percent of television households had the game on, according to data compiled by a media research company. All four major broadcast networks -- KBS1, KBS2, MBC and SBS -- showed the match live. Ticket scalpers are getting five times the face value for the Spain game, pushing the top-priced seats to 2 million won (about $1,600).
It took a year and a half for Hiddink to reach this point. Following a semifinal appearance as coach of the Netherlands at the 1998 World Cup and success over the last 20 years at the club level in the Netherlands, Turkey and Spain, Hiddink struggled to find a winning formula with the South Koreans. He was criticized for poor results in friendlies and regional tournaments, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup last winter in California, but slowly his tough management style began to pay off.
An exciting 3-2 loss to France in their final tuneup signaled South Korea was ready for the World Cup.
Boosted by passionate home crowds, the Red Devils have played with confidence and skill. Their high-pressure, fast-paced style has caused problems for every opponent, and their vastly improved defense has conceded only two goals in four matches.
Against Spain, South Korea faces a team that finally seems to be playing to its potential. But the Spaniards are concerned about their most dangerous player, striker Raul Gonzalez, who left the round-of-16 penalty kick victory over Ireland with a groin injury.
"We want to take the initiative," Hiddink said
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