ID :
208269
Tue, 09/20/2011 - 12:20
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https://oananews.org//node/208269
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S. Korea to open final Olympic football qualification against Oman
SEOUL/CHANGWON, South Korea, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will open the final round of Asian qualifications for the 2012 London Olympics against Oman at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Changwon, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
South Korea is in Group A with Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The team will travel to Qatar on Nov. 23 then play back at home against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 27. On Feb. 5, South Korea will take on Saudi Arabia on the road. Then it's off to Oman on Feb. 22, and the final match will be against Qatar at home on March 14.
Oman is considered the easiest opponent for South Korea. In a friendly in June this year in South Korea, the home team won handily, 3-1.
In a pre-match press conference in Changwon, South Korean head coach Hong Myung-bo said his team will try to earn a victory at home and won't take Oman lightly.
"I watched Oman play Malaysia last month, and Oman's defensive pressure had improved a lot," Hong said. "They will try to press us up front or stay back and crowd their own zone. The key for us will be to play a quick transition game."
Hong added he has already figured out Oman's weaknesses and his players are fully prepared to exploit them Wednesday.
"After our practice today, we will be perfectly ready for the game against Oman," Hong said.
Only football players 23 or younger are allowed to compete in the Olympics. South Korea will also lack the benefit of some up-and-comers, who also play for the senior national team, in the qualifying games.
Ji Dong-won of Sunderland in the English Premier League, Ki Sung-yueng of Celtic FC in Scotland and Son Heung-min of German team Hamburger SV are all key members of the senior team, but will not be joining the U-23 squad. Their respective European clubs aren't obliged to make their players available in midseason for Olympic qualifications.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo will, however, have other youngsters from the senior squad. From the domestic K-League will be defender Hong Jeong-ho and midfielder Yoon Bit-garam. Players based in Japan, including Kim Bo-kyung of Cerezo Osaka and Cho Young-cheol of Albirex Niigata, will also be with the Olympic team.
Coach Hong said he will juggle his lineup to get the best possible combination.
"When push comes to shove, then more experienced players should take the field," he said. "I will also try to put in players who've been training together for a long time."
In the final stage, there are three groups of four teams, and they will play each other twice in the home-and-away format. Only the top seeds from those groups will secure berths in London. The winner of a three-way playoff among the No. 2 teams will enter an international playoff for the final chance to qualify.
Group B includes Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Group C countries are Japan, Bahrain, Syria and Malaysia.
South Korea has never won a football medal at the Olympics. It has made it out of the first round only twice in eight appearances at Olympic tournaments.
South Korea is in Group A with Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The team will travel to Qatar on Nov. 23 then play back at home against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 27. On Feb. 5, South Korea will take on Saudi Arabia on the road. Then it's off to Oman on Feb. 22, and the final match will be against Qatar at home on March 14.
Oman is considered the easiest opponent for South Korea. In a friendly in June this year in South Korea, the home team won handily, 3-1.
In a pre-match press conference in Changwon, South Korean head coach Hong Myung-bo said his team will try to earn a victory at home and won't take Oman lightly.
"I watched Oman play Malaysia last month, and Oman's defensive pressure had improved a lot," Hong said. "They will try to press us up front or stay back and crowd their own zone. The key for us will be to play a quick transition game."
Hong added he has already figured out Oman's weaknesses and his players are fully prepared to exploit them Wednesday.
"After our practice today, we will be perfectly ready for the game against Oman," Hong said.
Only football players 23 or younger are allowed to compete in the Olympics. South Korea will also lack the benefit of some up-and-comers, who also play for the senior national team, in the qualifying games.
Ji Dong-won of Sunderland in the English Premier League, Ki Sung-yueng of Celtic FC in Scotland and Son Heung-min of German team Hamburger SV are all key members of the senior team, but will not be joining the U-23 squad. Their respective European clubs aren't obliged to make their players available in midseason for Olympic qualifications.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo will, however, have other youngsters from the senior squad. From the domestic K-League will be defender Hong Jeong-ho and midfielder Yoon Bit-garam. Players based in Japan, including Kim Bo-kyung of Cerezo Osaka and Cho Young-cheol of Albirex Niigata, will also be with the Olympic team.
Coach Hong said he will juggle his lineup to get the best possible combination.
"When push comes to shove, then more experienced players should take the field," he said. "I will also try to put in players who've been training together for a long time."
In the final stage, there are three groups of four teams, and they will play each other twice in the home-and-away format. Only the top seeds from those groups will secure berths in London. The winner of a three-way playoff among the No. 2 teams will enter an international playoff for the final chance to qualify.
Group B includes Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Group C countries are Japan, Bahrain, Syria and Malaysia.
South Korea has never won a football medal at the Olympics. It has made it out of the first round only twice in eight appearances at Olympic tournaments.
