Korean K.League Soccer News - January 2004

John Duerden reports on the new K.League season

A season of two halves.

2004 promises to be a busy year for Korean footballers. The Asian Cup in China, the Olympics in Greece and various World Cup qualifiers for Germany 2006, threatened to cause an unprecedented demand for K-League clubs to release their players for the national teams.

This fact was not lost on the K-League's bosses who were looking for ways to reduce the number of games played in the Year of the Monkey. The directors controversially chose to ape Japan's league, ironically when the J.League is moving towards a single championship. The 2004 K-League will be in two phases but without the J-League's relegation system.
It is not the first time that the K-League has used the two stage season. It did so in 1984, for one season only and tried in again in the mid-nineties reverting back to the single league in 1997. In fact, Korean fans are used to such monkeying around with the format as it will be the fifth time the league has been reorganized in its 21-year history.

The format is as follows: the thirteen league members will play twelve games in the first and second stages of the season. The two teams that finish at the top of the tree in each stage will enter a play-off that will determine the champs from the chumps.

As well as cutting down on last season's 44 games (which would have been higher this coming season with the creation of Incheon United), the directors hope to increase the competitiveness of the league. Regular readers will know that Seongnam Chunma Ilhwa strolled to the title last season. The KFA believes that this "new format" will prove to be something of a banana skin to such teams.

However, many have been left scratching their heads. The reason why the two stage format was scrapped on both occasions in the past was because it was so uncompetitive. The first stage winners would go through the motions in the second stage knowing that they had already secured a play-off spot. Teams in the bottom half didn't have to fear falling out of the tree as relegation didn't and still doesn't exist. In 1996, the Ulsan Tigers earned their stripes by winning the first stage but lazily finished bottom of the second.

There will be no such monkey business this time according to the big cheeses, as there is one important difference. The players now receive a win bonus so they now have an incentive to try in every game. As long as the bonuses are not worth peanuts then there may be a chance.

Brazil Nuts?

With the success of Brazilians Dodo and Magno Alaves last season, it seems that everybody wants a Brazilian striker or two to challenge the might of Seongnam. All in all, by the middle of January, thirteen Brazilians have said OK to the K-League.

Unfortunately for FA cup winners, Chonbuk Motors, Alaves chose to try his luck in the J-League with Oita Trinita. The Motors replaced him with two of his compatriots Edu and Roma, from Coritiba and Flamengo respectively. The two are on loan and will feature in the Asian Champions League as well as the domestically.

Another Coritiba old boy, striker Marcel will be strutting his stuff at the World Cup stadium in Suwon for the Bluewings. He will be joined by Cristiano from Parana. Marcel and Cristiano will, I'm sure, enjoy visiting Suwon's famous public bathrooms, the best in Korea.

Anyang Cheetahs, who finished eighth last season have signed last year's second top scorer in Brazil's domestic league, Renaldo who netted an impressive 32 goals. He will be joined by Varentin who is a midfielder, both came from Parana.

Daegu FC, "enjoyed" a dismal first season in the K-League, finishing in 11th place. They have shipped in three Brazilians to shore up their squad. Danilo, Renato and Reison may sound like a dodgy Latin American law firm but these guys will hope to make a credible case and convince the doubters that Daegu will be a force to reckon with.

Making up the thirteen are Alan and Ziago who will become honorary citizens of Daejeon, Carlos, who will go on loan to Pohang Steelers and William who will join Ulsan Tigers.

Asian Champion's League

The K-League has two representatives in the Asian Champion's League which starts next month, the Champions, Seongnam Chunma and the cup-winners, Chonbuk Motors.

Seongnam will face two of Korea's World Cup stars when they take on Yokohama F. Marinos in Group G. Ahn Jung-hwan has completed a $1 million move to the Japanese team and in doing so joins his compatriot, Yoo Sang-chul.
Seongnam will also face Indonesia's Persik Kidiri and Binh Dinh of Vietnam.

The cup holders also face Japanese opposition, namely Jubilo Iwata as well as Shanghai Shenhua and Thailand's Sero Sasana.

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