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Improved K-league crucial for future Korean success
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-24 16:52 All optimism aside, South Korea is still far from matching the global powerhouses in world soccer. Coach Advocaat said talent is there, but it needs to be developed. And that must start in the domestic K-league competition.
"There is a lot of talent in Korea. The first thing they have to do is improve the league. If not, then a lot of players will go abroad. They have enough talent to improve the national team," Advocaat said. "We have to change a lot of things if we ever want to come back to what we did four years ago," said Pim Verbeek, who was assistant coach to Advocaat and also to fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink during South Korea's 2002 run. "We see the international level is a few steps higher than the level in Asian competitions. It's completely different. The tempo is higher. Every first half we had problems. We weren't used to the higher tempo and that we have to play quicker and take quicker decisions." Seven of Advocaat's 11 starters played this season in the K-league while nine of Koebi Kuhn's Swiss starters played in either Germany, England, Italy or France. "You could see the difference in the first half," Advocaat said. Advocaat and his staff were also dealing with less preparation time than Hiddink had before 2002, when the Dutchman had six months to work with the national squad. Advocaat had a four-week lead-in with the full squad. "We thought it was enough time. But I have to come to the conclusion that it was probably too short," Verbeek admitted. One of the main questions now is who will coach the South Korean national team. Even before the World Cup, Advocaat was reported to have signed a two-year deal with Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg. He dispelled those rumors early in the World Cup campaign. But his future remains open. "I don't want to give an answer to that tonight. After a couple days, I will give an answer to the people who should know first," said the 58-year-old Advocaat, who coached his native Holland to the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup and the semifinals of the 2004 European championships. "I'm too upset today to think about that, sorry." Regardless of who the coach is, he will have plenty of talent to work with. Eleven players of Advocaat's 23-member squad were under 25, including budding star Park Ji-sung. "We need to have more confidence when we play," the Manchester United midfielder said. "We don't have many opportunities to play against European teams in Europe. That would help."
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