Korea needs to learn Southeast Asian lesson
By John Duerden
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Ulsan Horangi were drafted in to the 2017 Asian Champions League at almost the last-minute to replace Jeonbuk Motors, the defending champion banned for bribing referees in 2013.
Despite the late entry, Ulsan have quickly stepped into the line with the country’s other three representatives in producing mixed performances.
On Wednesday Ulsan lost 0-1 to Thailand champion Muangthong United just north of Bangkok, after tying the team 0-0 at home in March.
It wasn’t just that the K-League team lost at Muangthong but that it lost deservedly. The host team should have won by three or four goals as it was quicker, more skillful and more passionate.
This was not a lucky win with a quick goal followed by eleven mean defending deep as if their lives depending on it. It was Muangthong taking a first-half lead then aggressively trying to add a second and a third and failing to do so because of problems in front of goal.
It was a noteworthy defeat as Ulsan could have gone top of the group with a win but instead sit in third with two games to go into the four-team group. With only the top two progressing to the second round, the chances of getting to the last 16 are uncertain. At this stage, of the four Korean participants, only Suwon Bluewings can be confident of getting there.
It also looks as if Thailand, allowed to have only one team in the competition, could well have the same number of teams in the last 16 as Korea, which had four.
This is important as there has been a tendency in the past for some Korean coaches and clubs to look down on Southeast Asia. The region has not been a powerhouse in football for some time but Thailand, especially, is improving. Vietnam too, and there is talent in Cambodia and Laos.
Perhaps with Muangthong, which attracted over 11,000 fans to their game with Ulsan compared to the 1,300 that attended the same fixture in Korea, it shows in stark terms that the gap is not as big as it once was.
With the K-League highly respected in Southeast Asia, many talented players from the region are interested in playing here. Instead of the Brazilians, who are hit-and-miss in their success, a few more Thais, Vietnamese and Cambodians, see the move as a step up that would, as an experiment, be worth trying.
While Piyapong Pue-on, back in the eighties, was a major success for LG and remains a legend in Thailand, there have been few examples since. A highly-talented Vietnamese midfielder Luong Xuan Troung spent last season with Incheon United and this with Gangwon FC but has hardly been given a chance.
He is good enough to inspire Vietnam to a 5-2 win over North Korea, as he did last year, but not yet deserving of a little trust and patience for smaller K-League teams.
Perhaps one day, Korea will wake up to the talent in their neighborhood and tap into it for the benefit of both parties. The one positive with Ulsan losing in Thailand is that such a day may come a little sooner.