South Korea to remain top
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ByEurosport
Published 24/03/2005 at 13:38 GMT
South Korea travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday for their 2006 World Cup Asian zone qualifier to strenghten their top position in Group One. Saudi Arabia would appear to be the perfect opponents since they have already conceded that they are playing for second place of the Group.
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The 2002 World Cup semi-finalists beat Kuwait 2-0 at home in their group opener in Seoul last month while Saudi Arabia were held to a 1-1 draw in Uzbekistan.
"Korea are building on their amazing World Cup three years ago and should come top," said Saudi Arabia's Argentine coach Gabriel Calderon. "The rest of us are chasing second place."
Calderon's pessimism is based on a 1-0 defeat by Egypt and a 4-1 thrashing by Finland in warm-up games over the past week.
"We've finished analysing Saudi and feel confident we can achieve the result we want," South Korea's Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere said on Thursday.
"We respect Saudi Arabia but we have come here to win and that's what I expect from the team."
Bonfrere has again put his faith in resurgent striker Lee Dong-gook, who has scored nine goals in 15 games since he took over as coach last June.
"Since we got here I've thought about nothing but beating Saudi Arabia," said Lee, whose two-year stint of military service ends on Friday.
"It will be important for me to take my chances but it doesn't matter who scores as long as we win."
Lee will get plenty of support in attack from PSV Eindhoven playmaker Park Ji-sung and Seol Ki-hyeon, who has been in a rich vein of form for English club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Influential captain Yoo Sang-chul returns from a lengthy injury layoff to give Bonfrere a further boost and should start in the centre of South Korea's defence.
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