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Korea coach says team won't settle for draw in final group World Cup match
GUADALUPE, Mexico — South Korea will only need a draw against South Africa in their final group stage match this week to advance to the knockouts of the FIFA World Cup, but head coach Hong Myung-bo doesn't want his players to settle for anything less than a victory. "The moment we start thinking a draw will be good enough, we will be in trouble," Hong said at his prematch press conference at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, northeastern Mexico, on Tuesday, the eve of South Korea's Group A showdown against South Africa. The kickoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday (local time), or 10 a.m. Thursday (South Korean time). "The opponents will be tough to handle," Hong continued. "We will prepare for this match with the mindset that we will win it no matter what." South Korea are in second place in Group A on three points, following a 2-1 win over Czechia and a 1-0 loss to Mexico. Mexico are already through to the round of 32 after clinching the top spot in the group with their win over South Korea. South Korea will secure second place with a win or a draw against South Africa, and may even sneak into the
2 MIN READBy Yonhap

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Napoli back on winning track thanks to Lecce own goal

Napoli's Kim Min-jae, right, is in action with Lecce's Assan Ceesay during a game at Stadio Comunale Via del Mare in Lecce, Italy, April 7. Reuters-Yonhap Luciano Spalletti's side extended their lead at the top of the table to 19 points over second-placed Lazio, who will be in action against Juventus, Saturday.Napoli, whose shock 4-0 loss to AC Milan, Sunday, was only their third league defeat of the season, are within touching distance of winning the Serie A title for the first time since 1990 with nine games left to play.Napoli opened the scoring in the 18th minute when an unmarked Giovanni Di Lorenzo headed home Kim Min-jae's cross. Lecce equalized seven minutes into the second half after Federico Di Francesco pounced on a rebound inside the box and sent the ball into the bottom corner.Lecce's momentum disappeared in the 64th minute when Gallo chested the ball back to keeper Wladimiro Falcone, who saw it slip between his gloves and into the net.The match conclude

Napoli back on winning track thanks to Lecce own goal

Koepka living large at Masters, leads with Rahm and Hovland

Brooks Koepka watches his tee shot on 18th hole during the first round at the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 6. UPI-YonhapBrooks Koepka carved out a new identity that sure looked familiar Thursday in the Masters.This wasn't about his surprising defection last year to LIV Golf, or even his victory four days ago that made him the Saudi-funded circuit's first multiple winner. He just looked like “Big Game Brooks,” the player who built a reputation for playing his best in the majors.Koepka was in full flight in the opening round at Augusta National, and he had company. He birdied his last two holes for a 7-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.Koepka couldn't stoop to read putts two years ago at the Masters when he tried to return from knee surgery in three weeks. He felt so hobbled last year he had reason to believe his run in the majors ― four wins over three years ― was about to be a memory.He is getting his swagger back.“Once you feel good, everything changes,” Koepka said.As for

Koepka living large at Masters, leads with Rahm and Hovland

To avoid Masters curse, Korean Im Sung-jae takes leisurely stroll at Par 3 Contest

Korea's Im Sung-jae on the first hole during the par 3 tournament at at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 5. Reuters-YonhapSo hard is Im Sung-jae trying to win his Masters title this week that, when he found himself in early contention at the annual Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday, the Korean player decided to stop keeping score.That's because Im was aware of the curse of the Par 3 Contest.The exhibition began in 1960, 26 years after the first Masters, and no winner of the contest has gone on to capture the Masters in the same year.Im birdied two of his first three holes and reached three-under through six. Im's final score was four-under, but the organizers listed Im as "NS," as in not scored, along with 54 other contestants. Tom Hoge of the United States won the Par 3 Contest at six-under."I heard about the curse, so I didn't even play that hard," Im told reporters afterward. "But then I had two birdies on the first three holes."The annual exhibition is mostly a family affair, with players bringing out their wi

To avoid Masters curse, Korean Im Sung-jae takes leisurely stroll at Par 3 Contest

Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan belts 1st MLB home run

Pittsburgh Pirates' Ji Hwan Bae rounds the bases on his two run, home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, April 4. AP-YonhapThe Pittsburgh Pirates' Korean infielder Bae Ji-hwan has gone deep for the first time in his major league career.Bae launched a two-run home run over the famed Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday (local time), giving the Bucs a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning.Bae, batting eighth and playing second base, smoked a 1-1 fastball from Nick Pivetta to flash some opposite field power, as the ball just cleared the top of the wall in left field."When I saw the left fielder running towards it, I thought he was going to catch it," Bae said through a translator, as reported by MLB.com. "But in my mind, I was hoping it was going to go over the wall." The Pirates went on to win the game 4-1. Bae didn't have a hit the rest of the game, as he struck out swinging in the fourth, grounded out in the seventh and flied out in the ninth.Pittsburgh Pirates' Ji Hwan Bae, right, is congratulated by C

Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan belts 1st MLB home run

Klinsmann needs to handle Kim Min-jae situation

Uruguay's Maximiliano Gomez Gonzalez, second from right, fights for the ball against South Korea's Kim Min-jae during an international friendly match in Seoul, March 28. / AP-YonhapBy John DuerdenThere is rarely a boring week in Korean soccer and last week was no different. There was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Uruguay in Seoul. As it was a friendly game, the result was not that important. It was more of a chance for new coach Jurgen Klinsmann to get a look at his players in what was just his second game in charge since his February appointment.It remains to be seen if the German boss can take these lessons on board for more tests later in the year, but there are more pressing issues. The biggest one of the week was the Kim Min-jae affair.Before we get into that, it is worth remembering that the defender is one of the hottest properties in European soccer at the moment. After joining Napoli last summer, the 26-year-old has been a star for the Italian giant as it runs away at the top of the league and is on course for its first title since the 1980s when Diego Maradona was the star p

Klinsmann needs to handle Kim Min-jae situation

Davis has 40, James a triple-double as Lakers beat Rockets

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, center, shoots between Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, left, and forward Jabari Smith Jr., during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, April 2. AP-YonhapAnthony Davis scored 40 points, LeBron James had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to tie Jason Kidd for fourth place with his 107th triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 134-109 on Sunday night.The Lakers (40-38) moved two games over .500 and into a tie for seventh with the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference with four games to go. Los Angeles has won six of its last seven games and owns the tiebreaker over the Pelicans.“We just want to put ourselves in the position to compete for a championship,” James said. “It's a journey and obviously we don't have as much chemistry as a lot of other teams that have aspirations to win a championship, but we've been building over the last month or so."These last four games are very important for our team, not only wins and losses but also the chemistry side as well. We nee

Davis has 40, James a triple-double as Lakers beat Rockets

Bears walk off on Giants on KBO opening day

A sellout crowd of 23,750 watches a Korea Baseball Organization opening day game between the Lotte Giants and the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, April 1. YonhapFirst-year import Jose Rojas blasted a three-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the Doosan Bears defeated the Lotte Giants 12-10 on Saturday in a wild affair to start the 2023 South Korean baseball season.The Bears blew a 3-0 lead, and then clawed back from an 8-3 deficit. The Giants forced extra innings with a run in the top ninth and took the lead in the top 11th, before Rojas put an exclamation point on the opening day drama with his home run.The Bears' first-year manager Lee Seung-yuop won in his much-anticipated debut.The two teams combined for 26 hits and handed out 15 walks in the marathon game that lasted well over four hours.The Bears put up a three-spot in the bottom of the first against shaky Giants starter Dan Straily, who had trouble locating his pitches.After a single and a four-pitch walk, Straily threw a wild pitch to let both runners advance. Then Jose Rojas' groundout

Bears walk off on Giants on KBO opening day

Judge blasts first homer as Yankees win to open MLB season

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York City, March 30. AP-YonhapAaron Judge blasted the first home run of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, sparking the New York Yankees to victory to begin the 2023 Major League Baseball season Thursday with new rules and familiar feats.The 30-year-old American outfielder, in his first time at bat since being named captain of the historic MLB club, smashed the second pitch he saw from San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb over the center-field wall for a solo homer in the first inning to start the scoring in New York's 5-0 triumph.Fans at Yankee Stadium chanted "M-V-P" as Judge, last year's American League Most Valuable Player, walked to home plate and picked up right where he left off in 2022.Judge belted 62 homers last year to break the the AL single-season homer record of 61 set by Yankees legend Roger Maris in 1961.Judge was courted by several teams as a free agent in the off-season, including San Francisco, b

Judge blasts first homer as Yankees win to open MLB season

KBO, affiliate searched over suspected bribery involving broadcasting rights

This photo shows the headquarters of Korea Baseball Organization, March 31. YonhapProsecutors raided the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the organizer of the Korean professional baseball league, and its affiliate Friday as part of an investigation into suspected bribery surrounding the right to broadcast baseball games.Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office were sent to KBO's secretariat in southern Seoul and KBOP, an affiliate handling the league's broadcasting rights, to seize evidence.The raid is part of the prosecution's ongoing investigation into bribery allegations involving a KBO executive and Eclat Media Group, a sports marketing group that runs cable channels specializing in sports, including SPOTV.Prosecutors suspect the KBO executive took money in return for giving business favors involving broadcasting rights.The raid came one day before the regular 2023 KBO season is set to kick off. (Yonhap)

KBO, affiliate searched over suspected bribery involving broadcasting rights

Amid off-field incidents, new KBO season to feature repeat title bid

Fans take in a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game between the home team Kia Tigers and the NC Dinos at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers sout of Seoul, March 26. YonhapThey say in baseball that hope springs eternal for every team this time of year, just before the beginning of a new season. Everyone starts with a 0-0 record, and there's cause for optimism for all.Some off-field issues, however, have threatened to dampen the excitement in the buildup to the new Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, which starts Saturday for all 10 clubs across the nation.The league had hoped to use the World Baseball Classic (WBC) earlier this month as a launching pad of sorts, where a strong showing by the national team, made up almost entirely of KBO stars, would drive up interest in the professional league as well.That hope died a quick death, though, as Korea lost its first two games en route to a third consecutive first-round exit. The performance left the KBO to do plenty of soul-searching on the future of baseball in the country.Last week, the Lotte Giants

Amid off-field incidents, new KBO season to feature repeat title bid

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