Jun 22, 2018

[World Cup] Nat'l football team arrives in Rostov-on-Don for match vs. Mexico

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- South Korea on Thursday arrived in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where they will play their second match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea's 23-man squad will take on Mexico for their second match in Group F at Rostov Arena at 6 p.m. on Saturday (Russian time). They arrived in the city after a two-hour flight from Saint Petersburg.South Korea suffered a 1-0 loss to Sweden in their Group F opener at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday, while Mex

Jun 21, 2018

Looking for turnaround, Korea to take on Mexico in crucial 2nd match

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korea will try to upset Mexico to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea, ranked 57th in the latest FIFA rankings, and Mexico, world No. 15, will go head-to-head at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday for their second match in Group F, where they are also paired with Sweden and Germany.The teams are in different situations after their first matches, but one thing is for certain: neither So

Jun 20, 2018

Putting Sweden defeat behind, S. Korea polish up tactics for Mexico

Trying to rise from their opening match loss to Sweden, South Korea on Monday conducted their first tactical training for the upcoming match against Mexico behind closed doors. South Korea will face Mexico at Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday for their second match in Group F. South Korea suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sweden in their group opener, while Mexico stunned defending champions Germany with a 1-0 win. Only the first 15 minutes of training was opened to the press as the players pract

Jun 20, 2018

[World Cup] Despite crushing defeat to Sweden, midfielder says S. Korea not giving up

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korean midfielder Koo Ja-cheol said Tuesday the players have yet to give up their hopes for reaching the knockout stage at the 2018 FIFA World Cup despite their painful defeat to Sweden.Koo was a starting midfielder in South Korea's 1-0 loss to Sweden in their Group F opener at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Monday. The FC Augsburg man played 73 minutes and was replaced by Hellas Verona attacker Lee Seung-woo. With defending champions Ger

Jun 20, 2018

[World Cup] Korean left back to miss rest of tournament with hamstring injury

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed that their left back Park Joo-ho will not be able to play the rest of the team's 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign due to hamstring injury.A national team official said Park went to a hospital in Saint Petersburg and his medical checkup result showed that the 31-year-old will not be available to compete for South Korea's two remaining matches in Group F. "Park's injury wasn't severe as we originally thought as he only had a small damage on

Jun 19, 2018

[World Cup] Forget stylish attacking moves, this is set-piece World Cup

VOLGOGRAD, Russia -- The possession football championed by coaches like Pep Guardiola is supposed to produce aesthetically-pleasing goals. Against strong defenses and world-class goalkeepers, sometimes you need to go back to basics.This World Cup has started with a spate of goals off of set pieces and penalty kicks, as many teams have struggled to score in the run of play.Inevitably, superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been part of the story, on opposite sides.Ronaldo’s delivered

Jun 19, 2018

[World Cup] Late header from Kane gives England 2-1 win over Tunisia

VOLGOGRAD, Russia -- Twice wrestled to the ground during the match, England captain Harry Kane finally evaded the Tunisian defense just as time was running out.Kane found an open area of space at the far post and used his head to meet Harry Maguire’s flick-on, scoring the winning goal Monday in a 2-1 victory at the World Cup.It was relief for Kane and Gareth Southgate, who leapt into the air in delight as his World Cup debut as a coach got off to a winning start."The best teams in the world keep

Jun 19, 2018

[World Cup] Belgium wakes up in 2nd half, rolls past Panama 3-0

SOCHI, Russia -- Unlike the other World Cup favorites that struggled through their opening matches, Belgium looked every part the title contender.Having Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku capable of scoring the way they did against Panama helps."People know I am supposed to score goals," Lukaku said. "The most important thing to me is to win matches."Lukaku scored twice in a six-minute span in the second half after Mertens’ perfectly struck volley gave Belgium the lead, and the Red Devils beat over

Jun 19, 2018

[World Cup] Korea face rocky road ahead after losing Group F opener to Sweden

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- The importance of winning the first match at the World Cup is rarely lost on players or coaches alike. And South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong went all-in to try to beat Sweden to start this year's tournament in Russia.But South Korea ranked 57th, failed miserably, losing 1-0 to world No. 24 without even putting a shot on target at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. Shin used a 4-3-3 formation, a departure from the 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 settings from tuneup matches immediately preceding t

Jun 18, 2018

[World Cup] Despite 1-0 loss, S. Korean goalkeeper makes impressive tournament debut

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo made an impressive World Cup debut on Monday, although his team fell to Sweden 1-0 in their 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F opener.Jo was South Korea's starting goalkeeper at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, which was somewhat of a surprise decision by head coach Shin Tae-yong.Jo has been competing with Kim Seung-gyu for the starting job in Russia but was thought to be a backup. While Kim had 33 caps and appeared at t

Jun 18, 2018

[World Cup] With stadium dominantly yellow, S. Korean supporters show their energy

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- It felt like Sweden's home. Yellow was the dominant color at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Monday as Swedish fans packed the competition venue for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F match between South Korea and Sweden. South Koreans in red colors, however, didn't back down.  (Yonhap)Football fans flocked to the stadium even five hours before kickoff. With their families and friends and wearing national team shirts, fans raised their voices from t

Jun 18, 2018

[World Cup] S. Korea fall to Sweden 1-0 in Group F showdown

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia -- South Korea fell to Sweden 1-0 in their World Cup Group F showdown on Monday, unable to put a shot on target after wasting a promising start.(Yonhap)Swedish captain Andreas Granqvist converted a 65th-minute penalty following a video review at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and the 24th-ranked Europeans held on for a clean sheet victory over 57th-ranked South Korea.This was South Korea's first loss in their World Cup opener since 1998.(Yonhap)South

Jun 19, 2018

[Photo News] Korean soccer fans react to loss against Sweden

Korean soccer fans reacted strongly as their national soccer team got beaten by Sweden 0-1 in World Cup Russia 2018 Group F match held in Nizhny Novgorod in Russia on Monday. Before the kickoff, thousands of Koreans took to outdoor cheering venues in the streets of South Korea and in Nizhny Novgorod, a city some 425 kilometers east of Moscow, to share their passion for the victory of its national teamAmid the sweltering summer heat here, a flurry of supporters in red uniforms gathered at venues,

Jun 19, 2018

[Video] Red Devils paint the town red to cheer national squad

[From the scene]Thousands of Korean football fans could not hide their enthusiasm as they flooded the streets nationwide to cheer for their team in the first Group F match against Sweden that began at 9 p.m. Monday.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)Lee Sung-wan, 36, could not hide his excitement as he carried his two 3-year-old children dressed up in soccer uniforms in front of Seoul City Hall.“I could not miss out on this historic event. This is my children’s first World Cup