Lee plans on longer run than Korean coach has targeted
South Korea goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae believes his coach`s target of a place in the last 16 of the World Cup would be a failure and is aiming for a longer run at the finals in South Africa.
|Last Updated: May 13, 2010, 01:42 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Seoul: South Korea goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae believes his coach`s target of a place in the last 16 of the World Cup would be a failure and is aiming for a longer run at the finals in South Africa.
South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo previously erred on the side of caution by stating his "initial goal" was a place in the last 16 after being drawn with Argentina, Greece and Nigeria in Group B."We don`t consider...the top 16 as our goal," Lee said. "That would be a case of things not turning out well."
The Koreans stormed to the semi-finals in 2002 as co-hosts and their qualifying credentials are second to none in Asia, this their seventh successive World Cup finals.
Their astonishing run to last four under Dutchman Guus Hiddink in 2002 brought the country to a standstill and major cities were transformed into a sea of red as fans flocked in their thousands to watch matches on giant screens.
South Korea have yet to advance beyond the first round on foreign soil but Lee said they could produce another shock at this year`s tournament, which begins on June 11.
"We can do better than reaching the top 16," said the 37-year-old keeper, who has made 129 appearances for his country.
"(At) my first World Cup in 1994...I didn`t even know what game I was playing in. But young players now have more big-league experience so the pressure should be less."Captain Park Ji-sung of Manchester United heads a strong contingent of Europe-based players also including Monaco`s Park Chu-young and Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers.
South Korea take on Ecuador in a home warm-up game at the weekend before Huh names his final 23-man squad for South Africa and final send-off game away to fellow qualifiers Japan.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.