Cho Discussed as Olympic Wild Card
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
South Korea's Olympic football team needs a goal scorer more than Amy Winehouse needs a mirror. Coach Park Sung-hwa hopes Jeonbuk Motors striker Cho Jae-jin could be the answer.
Park, who inherited the coaching helm of the under-23 team from Pim Verbeek last year, will announce today three veteran players to be included in the squad for the Olympic tournament in August. Olympic teams are restricted to players under the age of 23, but are allowed three over-aged players as ``wild card" picks.
Park's young squad, projected as the core of the South Korean team to be sent to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, certainly has some holes to fill in different areas, but adding an effective, frontline predator is undoubtedly the top priority.
The Olympic team's scoring problems have been truly appalling, failing to score against lowly regional opponents in its last three qualifying matches and insulting every aesthetic understanding of football along the way.
Despite their mediocrity, the South Koreans managed to make the cut, but Park would be the first to admit that their stay in Beijing would be short without roster improvements.
Cho, a towering center forward with a wealth of international experience, is seen as a potential impact player in Park's eyes.
``Cho has played in the last Olympic tournament and is well regarded for his character in the locker room," Park said.
``Cho had a tough offseason, searching for a new team after leaving the Japanese league. He has yet to regain his top form, but we will definitely keep a close eye on him.''
Cho, an athletic 1.85-meter striker, is regarded for his strength in the air and ability to hold the ball. The 27-year-old's direct approach, as well as his knowledge in stretching the defense, is thought to conform well with Park's support strikers, who posses an abundance of pace and trickery but struggle in the leading role.
However, a concern for Park is that Cho never seems comfortable playing with Park Chu-young, the FC Seoul striker who has been the face of the Olympic team.
The two were featured together in the senior team's World Cup qualifier against North Korea last month, but failed to produce anything meaningful in their linkup play.
Chu-young's tendency to drift deep into the midfield and involve in the buildup left Cho isolated for extended minutes and meant that nobody was there to collect the Motors forward's drops from the air.
Daegu FC attacker Lee Keun-ho, who is regarded for his pace and quick decision-making, could be a better partner for Cho upfront as could skilled Seongnam Chunma forward Cho Dong-keon. However, Park would surely be reluctant to leave Chu-young, one of his highest-profile players, on the bench.
For the other two wild card spots, Park is leaning toward picking Zenit St. Petersburg defender Kim Dong-jin, who looks to be getting the nod over Tottenham defender Lee Young-pyo.
Kim, a 1.86-meter defender, has quickness and strength to go with his size, and unlike Lee, has the ability to deliver quality crosses. Park also loves Kim's set-piece prowess provided by a thunderbolt left foot.
Park is planning to use the remaining spot for a midfielder, a spot probably saved for Manchester United winger Park Ji-sung.