Goal Storm Imminent

“We will show we are the best soccer team in Asia.”

Korea will play the 4th match of group A against Malaysia at the Asian soccer preliminaries for the 2004 Athens Olympics at Suwon World Cup stadium at 7:00 p.m. on April 14. The Korean Olympic team promises they will win.

Lately, the national team led by Umberto Coelho has made fans furious with its terrible play. Although the Olympic team leads its group with three consecutive wins, Korean players need a fourth on their home ground.

--The key is an effective attacking strategy

Korea has had difficulty scoring because of their inability to win over their opponents’ massed defense lines. Agile moves and delicate passes at midfield are necessary to overcome tough defenses. Kim Ho-gon, a coach of the Olympic team has prepared a strategy which calls for counterattacks again while Malaysia counterattacks. He also ordered midfielders such as Kim Dong-jin (Seoul), Kim Jeong-woo (Ulsan), O Seung-beom (Seongnam) and Park Kyu-seon (Jeonbook) to try venturous long shots and offensive attacks from the rear.

--New faces

A number of starting members such as Cho Jae-jin, Cho Byoung-gook (Suwon) and Kim Chi-gon (Seoul) can’t play in the game because of their accumulation of yellow cards, but Kim Dong-hyun (Suwon), Cheong Jo-gook (Seoul), Lim Yoo-hwan (Cheonbook) and Lee Jeong-yeol (Seoul) will be main players instead. It is expected that Kim Dong-hyun, 1m87cm, 85kg, and Cheon Jo-gook, 1m85cm, 78kg, will play their vertical game. Lim Yoo-hwan and Lee Jeong-yeol, playing on the national team for the first time, will take over defense.

--Cautious of yellow cards

If Korea defeats Malaysia, earning a total of 12 points, and second place China (4 points) and third place Iran (3 points) draw on April 16, Korea confirms its advance to the Olympics regardless of the rest of the bracket’s matches.

But unless that happens, Korea has to manage tough games against China (May 1, Chang-sa in China) and Iran (May 12, Seoul). Choi Seong-gook (Ulsan), Kim Doo-hyun (Suwon), Kim Dong-jin and Park Yong-ho (Seoul) have already received yellow cards. So they have to be careful not to get another in the match against Malaysia.

Soon-Il Kwon stt77@donga.com