South Korea to get ´homework´ after Ivory Coast win

March 3, 2010

South Korea’s reward for beating Ivory Coast 2-0 in a friendly international at Loftus Road here on Wednesday was to be promised more “homework” by coach Huh Jung-moo ahead of the World Cup finals.

An early goal from Lee Dong-gook and substitute Kwak Tae-hwi’s 90th minute effort gave South Korea victory against an Ivory Coast side without a full-time manager after Bosnia’s Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked last week following the side’s African Nations Cup quarter-final loss.

Guus Hiddink remains the favourite to take over but the presence of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson in the crowd at Loftus Road, the home of second division side Queens Park Rangers, saw the Swede linked to the vacancy with the Elephants

“We played very well and it is a good win for us but there is a lot of work still to do before the World Cup,” said Huh, whose side have been drawn against Argentina, Greece and Nigeria in South Africa in June.

“We are not meeting again until May now but I will give the players homework to do on our opponents.

“I want them to study videos of the teams we shall be playing as they all need to improve before we go to South Africa.

“The players who play in Europe lead this team and you saw that out there.

“They have more experience and quality but we attack and defend as a team and we deserved to win.”

Under Hiddink, South Korea somewhat controversially reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2002 when they co-hosted the tournament with Japan.

And while few expect them to reach the last four in South Africa, this performance suggested they could yet qualify out of Group B.

Huh added: “This game was excellent practice for us before the World Cup.

“We have to play Nigeria and while their style is not exactly the same, Ivory Coast are another African team and it was important for us to come up against a team like that before we go to South Africa.

“Ivory Coast played well and caused us a lot of problems but we adapted well. Of course it will be tough for us in the World Cup but we have confidence that we can perform and are looking forward to the challenge.”

Ivory Coast acting coach Kouadio Georges did not speak to reporters after the match.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: african nations cup, Argentina, Bosnia, elephants, England, england coach, Europe, greece, hiddink, huh, Ivory Coast, Japan, lee dong gook, Loftus Road, london, minute effort, queens park, queens park rangers, semi finals, South Africa, south korea, swede, tae, time manager, vacancy, vahid halilhodzic, world cup finals

Smith rules out second stint with Scotland

November 20, 2009

Walter Smith, the Rangers boss who had been regarded as one of the favourites to become Scotland’s next manager, on Friday ruled himself out of a return to the helm of the national squad.

Smith was in charge of Scotland between 2004 and 2007 and was credited with engineering a turnaround in the fortunes of a squad that had fallen to its lowest ever point in the world rankings under his predecessor Berti Vogts.

Smith left during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign to return to Rangers on a three-year contract which is due to expire in January.

That has created uncertainty over his future but speculation that he might be tempted by a return to international football was quashed on Friday.

“When I left Scotland, we were in the middle of a qualifying campaign,” he said. “After making the decision to leave Scotland at that time, I don’t feel it would be right to go back and that is the situation.

“The matter is now closed as far as I am concerned.”

Smith was at pains to point out that he had not been approached by the Scottish Football Association about the vacancy created by the sacking of George Burley earlier this week.

“What I am doing is responding to press speculation in a bid to end it as I don’t think it is fair on anyone,” he added.

“The fact is, I left the Scotland job of my own volition. Sometimes when you get the sack, it is actually easier to go back. But when you make your own decision to leave then it isn’t that easy.”

Smith’s statement leaves Dundee United manager Craig Levein as the clear favourite to replace Burley, who was dismissed after 22 months in charge in which Scotland won just three of their 14 matches and failed to reach the World Cup qualifying play-offs.

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: craig levein, dundee united, euro 2008, fortunes, george burley, Glasgow, helm, international football, play offs, predecessor, scottish football association, speculation, turnaround, vacancy, volition, walter smith

Belgian clubs handed extra incentive to win championship

May 23, 2009

As if winning the Belgian championship isn’t enough for RSC Anderlecht and Standard de Liege to give it their all in Sunday’s play-off return leg, the two clubs have been handed another incentive by European governing body UEFA.

UEFA confirmed on Friday that as both Champions League finalists, Manchester United and FC Barcelona have already secured a spot in the group phase of next year’s edition of the continental tournament, this frees up an extra berth which would normally go to the Champions League winners.

As a result, the winner of the Belgian league gets to start in the group stage instead of having to make an appearance in the third preliminary round. The fact also affects clubs in Switzerland, Faroe Islands and Luxembourg.

UEFA explained: “The domestic champion of the association ranked 13th in the coefficient ranking table (Belgium) will enter the competition directly in the group stage instead of the third qualifying round.

“The vacancy this creates in the third qualifying round will benefit the domestic champion of the association ranked 16th in the coefficient ranking table (Switzerland), who will enter the competition in the third qualifying round instead of the second.

“Finally, the vacancy left by Switzerland in the second qualifying round will benefit the domestic champions of the Faroe Islands and Luxembourg (positions 48 and 49 in the coefficient ranking table), who will enter the competition in the second qualifying round instead of the first.”

Written by: Jonathan Roorda