Super Match weekend
Fans cheer during a Super Match between Suwon and FC Seoul in November 2012 at the Seoul World Cupt Stadium. / Yonhap
Skating queen Yu-na
and other fans
to flock to game of
Suwon vs. FC Seoul
By Do Je-hae
Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul will reignite their longstanding rivalry Sunday in what local fans call the “Super Match.”
Making up one of the most intense rivalries in the K-League Classic, the two metropolitan clubs’ matches attracted more than 44,900 spectators last year.
The nation’s biggest football event this weekend will have fans flocking to the Suwon World Cup Stadium. Reigning Olympic and two-time world champion Kim Yu-na, the most celebrated figure skater Asia has produced, will launch the match with a ceremonial kick off.
Suwon is the frontrunner at the moment, having won seven of their past eight matches. The latest match, held in November, ended in a 1-1 draw.
Suwon Bluewings coach Seo Jung-won exuded confidence ahead of the match. Suwon is the current leader in the league with 12 points from five games, while defending champion Seoul remains winless after the fifth round of the K-league Classic season which started in March for a nine-month run.
The soccer community sees this match as a battle between the young coaches of the clubs who were two of the most illustrious athletes of their generation.
This is the first time Seo is participating in a Super Match as a coach.
“I have been through many Super Matches during my playing career. I feel excited rather than feeling pressure,” Seo said during a press conference Thursday. He also pointed out that FC Seoul has shown weakness in its defensive line.
The 42-year-old former striker played for both teams during his 16-year career.
“This is my first Super Match as a coach. I will do my utmost to bring victory for our team.”
Choi Yong-soo, coach of FC Seoul, was once a teammate of Seo at Anyang Cheetahs, the predecessor of FC Seoul. They both played for the national team in the mid 1990s.
“I have faith in our potential to win this match. Our playing is getting better and better,” Choi said.
A highlight of the match is the rivalry between two of the most popular athletes in the K-League Classic; North Korean striker Chong Te-se of Suwon, and Cha Du-ri, who recently joined FC Seoul after years of playing in Germany. This will be Cha’s debut in the K-League Classic.
The 32-year-old defender, a star of the 2002 FIFA World Cup when Korea reached the semifinals, has played professionally only in Europe. He is the son of Cha Bum-kun, one of Korea’s most famous soccer exports and a former manager of Suwon.
After joining Kawasaki Frontale in 2006, Chong became one of Kawasaki’s best players and one of the best strikers in the J-League. After the 2010 World Cup, the Nagoya native joined German club VfL Bochum. After one-and-a-half seasons in the second tier of the Bundesliga, Chong transferred to FC Koln in the first division. He announced he would join Suwon on Jan. 3, triggering a lot of media attention because of his previous record of playing for the North Korean national team.
One of the most sensational acquisitions of the off-season, the North Korean striker has brought more excitement to the K-League Classic.
He had been goalless since his move to Suwon in January in his previous showings in the K League Classic as well as the AFC Champions League, the premier Asian club football competition. But the 29-year-old finally scored his first goal last Saturday during a fifth round match against Daegu FC.
Cha and Chong were friends in Germany, but will be rivals in the Super Match.
“Cha told me about the rivalry between the two clubs back in our Germany days,” Chong said. “I look forward to becoming a part of this rivalry. I will shake hands with Cha as a goal celebration if I score.”
Suwon Samsung Bluewings coach Seo Jung-won
FC Seoul coach Choi Yong-soo