Many Koreans and Korean-Americans only just became fans of the beautiful game in 2002 when the FIFA World Cup was hosted in South Korea and Japan. That year, Koreans everywhere came out in rabid support of their countrymen thanks in large part to the team’s historic semi-final run. In 2006, the South Koreans again qualified for the World Cup in Germany where the team battled valiantly, but were unable to recapture the magic of four years earlier as they were bounced out in the group stage.

That brings us to the upcoming 2010 World Cup which will be hosted on the African sub-continent for the first time ever in South Africa. “The Reds”, as the team is affectionately known, are primed and ready to make a statement to the international soccer community. After breezing through their qualifying matches unscathed, the team is confident that they can not only compete, but advance in the 2010 tourney. The squad is lead by dynamic midfielder Park Ji-Sung, who won a Champions League title with Manchester United last season. Hopefully his time served in the Premiership will elevate the level of play of his teammates. But if teams key in on him, a second threat will need to emerge. My dark horse player to step up also has a badass name: Cha Du-Ri. I remember seeing the potential in him from the 2002 tournament even when he didn’t start. Unfortunately he was derailed by injuries in the 2006 affair. Could he reemerge as a force, particularly on set pieces?

In Group B the South Koreans will square-off against some formidable opponents in Argentina, Greece and Nigeria. While this group hasn’t been labeled a “group of death”, they do pose some interesting challenges. Most expect Argentina to dominate the field in group play, but even they have question marks. If they do live up to the top billing, the fight for the second spot will be tightly contested.
• Argentina is the heavy favorite as they come in with the most talent of the bunch. The headlining stars are Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez who possess mesmerizing skill and will definitely draw attention from defenders. But this Argentine team is different from years past because national hero Diego Maradona is now at the helm and he’s brought volatility and controversy with him. Ultimately if the team struggles as they did in their qualifying matches, they could open the door for one of the other teams in the group.
• Greece is making only their second World Cup appearance ever. But which Grecian squad will show up? The team that was dreadful in ’94? Or the team that caught lightning in a bottle to win Euro 2004?
• Nigeria will undoubtedly be emboldened by having the Cup played on their (relative) home soil. They can also draw on their previous experience against Argentina in 2002. Although they rank third among the African squads, they could be poised to make a – dare I say – South Korean-like run.

The success of the team in 2002 not only drew fans to the soccer pitch, but also national attention and support. You can see the development of soccer in Korea by the improved quality of the K-league as well as the number of Korean footballers now playing on top European clubs. This impact also seems to have rippled through to the other national teams as evidenced by the medal count at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, in particular the gold medal finish of the Korean baseball team.

As long as South Korea brings their trademark toughness, grit and heart they should be able to compete with anyone in their group and earn a spot in the round of 16. And no matter the outcome, I look forward to this summer where I’ll go to my local K-town and have the chance to root on this team with my fellow “Red Devils” (moniker for supporters of “the Reds”).

- Article By: Juncakes