Ahn, Lee’s Snub Predicts Football Youth Movement
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Two-time World Cup players, Lee Chun-soo and Ahn Jung-hwan, were dropped from the preliminary roster for South Korea's national football team.
New boss Huh Jung-moo announced Friday his 50-member entry for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and excluded the two high profile footballers.
``Irrespective of reputation, I selected 50 players, who have shown strong exhibitions on their teams,'' the 52-year-old manager said.
In addition, his squad indicates that a player's attitude is also a key factor in his selection.
Feyenoord forward Lee, 26, has been plagued by troubles on and off the field since he joined the Dutch league last August.
He returned home due after experiencing trouble in adapting to the new league during the season and also faced an assault charge that was later dropped.
Ahn, who played for Suwon BlueWings last year, could not remind football fans of his old form as a game-changer at all.
What's worse, the 32-year-old striker, who managed five goals in 25 appearances, jumped into the seats to confront hecklers in a second-tier league match, which fined him 10 million won ($10,700).
Midfielder Song Chong-gug, who played at the World Cups in 2002 and 2006, was not able to join the team, either.
While the World Cup warriors missing out, a whole bunch of national team rookies make the preliminary squad.
Defending K-League champion Pohang Steelers produced seven players and Huh's four former players in Chunnam Dragons also took the slots.
By the headman discharging former World Cup players from his new team even though it has three Premier Leaguers, Park Ji-sung of Manchester United, Seol K-hyeon of Fulham FC and Lee Young-pyo of Tottenham Hotspur, he is undergoing a generational shift.
Eleven players are under 23 years old and only four players, Kim Byung-ji of FC Seoul, Kim Nam-il of Vissel Kobe, Lee Kwan-woo of BlueWings and Tottenham's Lee are in their 30's.
He also added nine current Olympic players to the roster.
``It is no wonder that many young players take the spots on the team to prepare for the 2010 World Cup,'' Huh, a former Eindhoven star, said.
``For instance, Ahn Jung-hwan is still a capable player now but gunning for the upcoming World Cup, I have no choice but to look to youngsters.''