Team follows blueprint for success without using biggest advantage
06/24/2002
Can it be that the South Koreans, who have ridden the momentum of
their co-hosts status into a World Cup semifinal, have yet to realize the
full benefit of that home-country advantage?
That's what the South Koreans are saying.
The supremely confident Asian nation battles three-time World Cup champion Germany on Tuesday for a spot in the final. A team that marched into Korea-Japan 2002 just hoping to shed an inferiority complex now seems capable of a semifinal triumph.
The venue: Seoul, the country's bustling capital and home to some 10.4 million residents. The Koreans have yet to play there in the tournament but say they can't wait. They consider the 64,000-seat Seoul Stadium, barely 6 months old, their home field.
Previous South Korean games were in cities near Seoul or in the nation's industrial port city Ulsan.
Why is all this important? Because it drives home the value of hosting a World Cup. Even without milking every possible benefit from its host nation status, coach Guus Hiddink's bunch has blazed fourth like no other South Korean team before.
Is Hiddink's odds-squashing squad that good? Probably not. But is South Korea good enough to combine a decent team with the momentum of host-nation status? Obviously so.
South Korea had not managed a victory in 14 previous World Cup matches. Now, Germany coach Rudi Voeller says his team needs "something extra" against a side that has gained poise and pluck from upending Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain.
Said Voeller: "If we want to progress against the South Koreans, we won't just have to fight for everything, we will also have to show some more playing instinct. We need to pass and move more otherwise we will not reach the final."
Who would have thought before the tournament – a World Cup of upsets like no other – Voeller would be saying such things about a team so lightly regarded as South Korea? Then again, maybe we should have seen this coming.
France won the whole banana in 1998 as hosts. The host United States gained a surprising second-round berth in 1994 and put up a fight in an elimination match against Brazil.
Italy got into the quarterfinals at Italia '90. Mexico was a quarterfinalist in 1986 as a host. In fact, the Mexicans were also a quarterfinalist in 1970. Where was that tournament? In Mexico.
Have the Mexicans advanced to that stage in any tournament played beyond its own borders? Nope.
Go back as far as you like. Host nations won in 1978 (Argentina), 1974 (West Germany), 1966 (England) and 1934 (Italy).
Now, hosting the World Cup has given the World Cup its first Asian semifinalist. Even the great Pele, who has been a wonderful ambassador to the sport since retiring as a player in 1977, says South Korea deserves a place in the final.
"Germany were a bit lucky to get to the semifinals especially as they didn't really deserve to beat the United States, who were robbed of a penalty," Pele said. "It would be wonderful for the sport if Korea makes it to the final. They lack a little experience, but they have compensated with heart and courage."
And they have the encouragement of a host nation.