Europe eyes up Korean stars

13 April 2012

South Korea's run in the World Cup has showcased a team full of fresh, young talent to the top clubs in Europe.

Coach Guus Hiddink's young charges took South Korea into the history books as Asia's first World Cup semi-finalists.

Buoyed by victories over Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain in this year's finals, they will now form the core of a formidable side for the 2004 Olympics and the next World Cup.

Hiddink gave Cha Du Ri a start in yesterday's 1-0 semi-final defeat against Germany, where the 21-year-old showed off his pace and nimble passing.

Nicknamed the 'human bomb' because of his explosive speed, Cha plays for Korea University but his World Cup experience is expected to send him along the path of his father, Cha Bum Keun, who played in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.

With the wins have come dreams of moving to Europe, where two of the squad of 23 play.

"They're the next generation to lead Korean football," veteran striker Hwang Sun Hong said of team-mates Cha and 20-year-old Lee Chun Soo.

Meanwhile, Hiddink, former coach of PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid as well as the Holland team that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 1998, is just one match from the end of his contract and is expected to return to Europe.

There has been speculation that Eindhoven, where he won the Dutch League three seasons in a row and the European Cup in 1988, want him back.

Hiddink, the first coach to take two teams to the World Cup semi-finals, also played for Eindhoven and he has acknowledged that clubs have been in contact but refused to disclose details until the World Cup is over.

For South Korea, the finals end on Saturday with a match to settle third place against Brazil or Turkey.

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Europe eyes up Korean stars

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