Korean K.League Soccer Season Preview 2007

John Duerden previews the 2007 K.League season

The 25th edition of Asia’s oldest professional league kicks off soon. 14 teams around the country will be challenging last year's champions Seongnam.

The predictions are an indicator of how the teams may fare over the season as a whole.

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

K.League: Teams

Jeju United

It was a disappointing first season on the island for United. Bucheon had shown that they were starting to improve as a team and almost made the play-offs in 2005 but in Jeju the team looked poor for the most part.
Strikers like Choi Chul-woo and Irenue looked good for short spells but were never able to sustain any goalscoring form. Choi has gone as has Kim Kil-shik and Byun Jae-sub. It looks like being a tough season ahead for Jeju.
Lee San is an interesting signing however. The youngster spent his formative years with West Ham’s youth team before heading to Brentford and Sheffield United.
Coach
Jung Hae-sung
Key Player:
Cho Jun-ho
Last season:
13th
Prediction
13th
Stadium
Seogwipo World Cup Stadium (42,256)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Busan I'Park

It is ten years since the K-League trophy last resided in the second city. Andy Egli is about to embark on his first full season in charge but despite his work ethic, it is unlikely that the team has the firepower to trouble the big boys – a club that Busan no longer belong to.
Losing Popo is certainly not going to help. The Brazilian was certainly the most impressive overseas player in the league last season, scoring 13 and making five from midfield. The addition of goalkeeper Seo Dong-myung and Park Kyu-seon from Ulsan and the return of Luciano from Gyeongnam add depth to a squad that is lacking in quality.
Coach
Andy Egli
Key Player:
Lee Hyun-sung
Last season:
Eighth
Prediction
Tenth
Stadium
Busan Asiad World Cup Stadium (53,864)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

It is debatable just how much the club’s march to the Asian Champions League title cost them in the domestic arena. 2006 was a dreadful one at home but there are no excuses this time around. As champions of Asia, the Motors have a bye into the quarter-finals of the 2007 competition.
After the money earned from the competition win and subsequent participation in FIFA's Club World Championship, coach Choi Kang-hee talked of strengthening for the 2006 season.
After Botti left for Japan, the signings have been solid rather than spectacular - Kim Han-won from Incheon as well as Jeju pair Choi Chul-woo and Byun Jae-sub are decent players but perhaps fans in the south-west expected a little more. Still, there are some good players at the club and if the likes of Kim Hyeung-bom, Yeom Ki-hoon and Ze Carlo can show their continental form in the K-League then there could be some domestic happiness in Jeonju.
The capture of the top scorer of the Macedonian league Stevica Ristic is an interesting one and if he links up well with Ze Carlo then a good season could lie ahead.
Coach
Choi Kang-hee
Key Player:
Kim Hyeung-beom
Last season:
11th
Prediction
Seventh
Stadium
Jeonju World Cup Stadium (43,348)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Chunnam Dragons

Could this be the year for Chunnam – a first title for Jeolla Province? The team has been busy in the transfer market and if the new signings gel then the 2006 FA Cup winners could finally make an impact in the league.
Chunnam couldn’t stop drawing last season and if the team can start to convert such results into wins then they will not be far away from the top as they don’t lose many.
Goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang has gone but the club has spent the money well. Kim Chi-woo is one of the best left-sided players in Korea and Incheon United may regret letting him go. Fellow international Kim Jin-kyu returns to his old club after a two-year spell in Japan's J-League with Jubilo Iwata.
It is in attack that the club could struggle. Sandro Hiroshi was injured for much of last season but the Japanese-Brazilian is a competent poacher.
Coach
Huh Jung-moo
Key Player:
Sandro Hiroshi
Last season:
Sixth
Prediction
Fourth.
Stadium
Gwanyang Football Stadium (14,920)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Daegu FC

2006 wasn’t a bad season at all for Daegu. The club had the second best record of all 14 teams away from home and if it wasn't for the second worst home record then they would have easily finished in the play-offs.
Fourth place in the second stage came on the back of six goals from midfielder Oh Jang-eun. Unfortuantely, he has made the short trip to the south-east coast and Ulsan. Two new Brazilians will be on display - Luis Carlos Fernandes and Maximiliano Carlos Estevez - but as anybody who follows the K-League knows, it is impossible to predict what form of samba the new boys will bring.
Coach
Byun Byung-joo
Key Player:
Hwang Yoen-seok
Last season:
Seventh
Prediction
Ninth
Stadium
Daegu World Cup Stadium (65,754)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Daejeon Citizen

The club has some of the most passionate fans in the country but the team is still far from challenging at the top. They may have finished third in the first stage last year but finished third from bottom in the second, despite collecting only seven points less.
It is hard for the Citizen club to compete with the big boys and the loss of talisman Lee Kwan-soo to Suwon in mid-season hit hard.
At the moment, the club could be a solid mid-table outfit, though with the new league format, that could take them into the play-off.
If powerful striker Denilson can continue his scoring from the second half of last season and former Korean star Ko Jong-soo can show why he was once considered one of the best players in Asia, then the season could be reasonable.
Coach
Choi Yoon-gyum
Key Player:
Denilson
Last season:
10th
Prediction
11th
Stadium
Daejeon World Cup Stadium (41,295)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Gwangju Samgmu Phoenix

The loss of Chung Kyung-ho back to Ulsan is a blow for the military outfit but Gwangju are nothing if not accustomed to a high turnover of players. The ins and outs make it almost impossible for the club to compete in the K-League. It would be a shock in the team even looks like getting close to a top six finish. A top ten finish would be welcomed.
Coach
Lee Kang-jo
Key Player:
Nam Kung-do
Last season:
14th
Prediction
Bottom place
Stadium
Gwangju World Cup Stadium (44,118)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Incheon United

On the face of it, it hasn’t been the best of close seasons for Incheon. 2006 was a disappointment after 2005’s runners-up spot and the departure of players like Kim Chi-woo and Kim Han-won won’t help. With Jang Woe-ryeong spending a year studying in England, it remains to be seen what new, temporary coach Park I-cheon is made of.
Incheon are one of those teams who could just as easily spend the season fighting to finish above Gwangju at the bottom or Seongnam at the top. It is more likely though that they will finish no higher than mid-table. The team struggled to score last season and will probably do so again next time around unless Dzenan Radoncic reverts back to his sharp 2005 self and not the lazy 2006 version.
Coach
Park I-cheon
Key Player:
Radoncic
Last season:
Ninth
Prediction
Eighth
Stadium
Incheon Munhak World Cup Stadium (52,179)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Pohang Steelers

Pohang are in serious danger of taking over the “nearly men” tag that Ulsan had to bear until their 2005 title triumph. Only four previous titles stops the Steelers from doing so but two play-off defeats in the past three years – both at the hands of Suwon - suggests that the team is lacking something.
It probably isn’t Lee Dong-guk. The Middlesbrough striker’s contribution to the Pohang cause over the past few years has been peripheral. Without the Lion King, players such as Tavares, Hwang Jin-sung, Oh Beom-seok and Koh Ki-goo have the chance to shine.
Coach Sergio Farias is starting his third season in South Korea and has a solid base but the team still lacks the little something extra to challenge the likes of Seongnam and Suwon.
Coach
Sergio Ricardo de Paiva Farias
Key Player:
Oh Beom-seok
Last season:
play-offs
Prediction
Fifth
Stadium
The Steelyard (20,242)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

The champions are still warm from their seventh title triumph that was achieved at the start of a winter that has yet to leave the Land of the Morning Calm.
As they say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and Seongnam haven’t been too busy in the transfer market. 2006 top scorer Woo Sung-young has gone and his goals will be missed but at the age of 33, he has been traded in for a younger model – Kim Dong-hyun.
The former Suwon striker has spent the past two seasons in Portugal with Braga and Russian club Rubin Kazan. Kim may be younger but, as yet, is far less dangerous than the wily Woo in front of goal. Choi Sung-kuk is another expensive addition at over $2 million. “Little Maradona” may not be a prolific goalscorer either but his silky skills do cause problems around the penalty area.
Star striker Mota is fit and ready to show the other marksman in Korea how to score and with national team stars such as Kim Doo-hyun, Kim Sang-sik, Kim Young-chul and Kim Yong-dae, there is a solid spine to Seongnam.
Coach
Kim hak-bom
Key Player:
Kim Doo-hyun
Last season:
Champions
Prediction
Third.
Stadium
Bundang Stadium - (10,824)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

FC Seoul

It will be interesting to see how Seoul perform under new coach Senol Gunes. There are some good players in the capital, not least the under-rated Kim Eun-jung. The Turk has yet to make the expected signings but perhaps he intends to develop the young talent that the club is becoming renowned for.
He will have a honeymoon period of sorts. A top six place is expected and is within reach. First though, he needs to show the fans that the team is capable of playing some entertaining football.
Much depends on the form of Park Chu-young. If the striker, still only 21, can put a difficult second season behind him (though he still managed seven goals) then Seoul have a chance.
Coach
Senol Gunes
Key Player:
Park Chu-young
Last season:
Play-offs
Prediction
Sixth
Stadium
Seoul World Cup Stadium (63,930)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Suwon Samsung Blue Wings

Runners-up last season, Suwon are hoping to go one better this time around. The biggest transfer story of the winter was the decision of Ahn Jung-hwan to abandon, for the moment at least, his dream of playing in England or Spain. Much depends on the form and attitude of the Lord of the Ring, a player who always seems to have his mind on his next destination.
Suwon’s midfield is a stellar one with Kim Nam-il, Baek Ji-hoon and Lee Kwan-woo spending the second half of last season becoming a formidable unit. With a strong defence, the forward line was the weak link and if Ahn can find his scoring from of the last time he was in the K-League prior to his move to Italy in 2000 then Suwon could be in line for a fourth title.
Coach
Cha Beum-kun
Key Player:
Ahn Jung-hwan
Last season:
Runners-up
Prediction
Runners-up
Stadium
Suwon World Cup Stadium (43,923)

K. League Team uniforms © 2005 Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Ulsan Hyundai Horangi

The Tigers were toothless in 2006 and a repeat of such a boring season will be unacceptable. It is unlikely however as Kim Jung-nam has been very active in the transfer market.
US$2 million seems a lot to secure the services of national team goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang from Chunnam Dragons but Ulsan suffered from goalkeeping problems in 2006.
The midfield has a much stronger look about it this time around. Oh Jang-eun was one of the stars of 2006 for Daegu and if he can repeat his aggressive midfield play this time around then Ulsan will be delighted – he will be helped by the return of the much-under-rated 2005 captain Hyun Yong-min who spent last season in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg.
Choi Sung-kuk’s skill may be missed but Woo Sung-young knows where the goal is – if can teach his new team-mates, a good season should be in store.
Want-away winger Lee Chun-soo is still seething after his proposed move to England and Wigan fell through in January. The 25-year-old is desperate to move in the summer but if he shines before then, Ulsan fans could be smiling especially as another talented winger Chung Kyung-ho has returned from military service.
Coach
Kim Jung-nam
Key Player:
Oh Jang-eun
Last season:
5th
Prediction
Champions
Stadium
Ulsan World Cup Stadium (44,466)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

Gyeongnam FC

It was a difficult first season for the club but first season’s are usually tough. Seconds are not usually much better but the addition of Popo will be a huge help. Even with the talented Brazilian, it is unlikely that the south coast outfit will extend their season by finishing in the play-off spots.
Coach
Park Hang-seo
Key Player:
Popo
Last season:
12th
Prediction
11th
Stadium
Changwon City Stadium – (27,085)

K. League Team uniforms © Mikhail Sipovich www.colours-of-football.com

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