Choi to rely upon K-League players

By Kang Seung-woo

National football team manager Choi Kang-hee has made it clear that he will look to players from the domestic league in picking his squad ahead of the do-or-die World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on Feb. 29.

The 52-year-old, who took the helm of the team in December, returned from the United Kingdom after going to watch Korean internationals including Park Chu-young of Arsenal and Ji Dong-won of Sunderland, only to see them remain as unused substitutes.

“I will pick the best squad with players from the K-League for the Kuwait match,” Choi said upon his arrival on Tuesday.

“K-League players can join the national team 10 days ahead of the qualifying match, but players from European leagues will just be able to join by Feb. 27.

“Any competent players cannot put on their best performances with only a day’s practice.”

During their five-day stay the manager, along with Korean Football Association (KFA) technical committee head Hwangbo Kwan contacted Korean footballers playing in the English and Scottish leagues to see if they were match fit.

However, Choi’s plan hit a snag, as he failed to observe his overseas players in action.

Park failed to take the field in his team’s 7-1 drubbing of Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with Choi in the stands.

Since moving to the north London outfit in August, Park has been impressive for Korea, tallying eight goals in five appearances.

Choi said Friday, prior to his departure for the United Kingdom, that he will put Park in the starting lineup if his fitness is OK. But the manager was not given the chance to check on the national team captain, who spends most of his time on the bench these days.

“Despite the thrashing, Park did not take to the field. He is struggling to secure playing time and appears to have been left out of the Arsenal manager’s options,” he said.

Choi also had little confidence in the Sunderland striker Ji, who did not play in a 1-0 defeat of Blackburn Rovers on Sunday (KST).

“Despite his three-straight absences, his team has ridden a three-game winning streak. His role on the team is also diminutive,” he said.

The boss also missed out on watching Celtic duo Cha Du-ri and Ki Sung-yueng, as they did not see any playing time either.

Koo Ja-cheol, who recently transferred from VfL Wolfsburg to Augsburg on loan, will miss the Kuwait game having reached the yellow card limit, while the manager has decided not to call up Son Heung-min of Hamburg.

The Korean football team’s bid for an eighth straight World Cup appearance is in jeopardy. The Taeguk Warriors are level with Lebanon on 10 points at the top of Group B, but have a far superior goal difference in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

With Kuwait on eight points, a draw would see Korea advance as the top two nations in each group move on the next round. However, defeat would see the Middle East country advance to and Korea crash out. Lebanon plays the United Arab Emirates, which is without a single point, on the same day.