With back against wall, K League-worst Seongnam FC stun leaders Ulsan

Scripting a memorable feel-good underdog story, Seongnam FC, the worst team in South Korean football this year, gave themselves something to smile about on a rainy Sunday night. Seongnam FC stunned the K League 1 leaders Ulsan Hyundai FC 2-0 at Tancheon Stadium in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, for their second consecutive win. Kim Min-hyeok and Kwon Soon-hyung scored in each half to give Seongnam only their second winning streak of any length this year. Ulsan suffered their first loss since Jul

Sept. 5, 2022

Son Heung-min's scoreless skid hits 6 matches

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min is still without a goal six matches into the new season after coming within inches of snapping that skid in his most recent appearance. Tottenham edged out Fulham FC 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday (local time). Son made his sixth consecutive start, despite mumblings in the local press that he should be benched after a string of ineffective performances. Son gave his critics even more ammunition by once again being held off the scor

Sept. 4, 2022

3 clubs in middle of K League tables facing crucial weekend matches

After five more matches, the 12 teams in the top South Korean football league will be split into two tiers. The top six will comprise "Final A," and the rest will make up "Final B." Teams will then play five more matches within their own group to round out the season. Teams in the upper tier are guaranteed a stay in the K League 1 for the following season, while those in the lower group face the danger of relegation to the K League 2. Entering the new weekend of action, three

Sept. 1, 2022

Scoreless drought reaches 5 matches for Tottenham's Son Heung-min

A handful of matches into his Golden Boot defense, Son Heung-min is still in search of his first goal. In yet another uninspiring performance, the South Korean star for Tottenham Hotspur did not score in the club's 1-1 draw with West Ham United at London Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). Spurs stretched their undefeated run from the start of the season with three wins and two draws. But Son, who tied Mohamed Salah of Liverpool for the Premier League lead last season with 23 goals

Sept. 1, 2022

S. Korea sends in final bid documents for AFC Asian Cup

South Korea on Wednesday submitted its final candidature documents in a bid to host Asia's top football tournament next year. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the Korea Football Association (KFA) sent its official bidding book, the government guarantee and contracts on use of match stadiums and practice facilities to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The continental football governing body will conduct an on-site inspection sometime

Aug. 31, 2022

Tottenham's Son Heung-min to hunt for 1st goal of season vs. West Ham

It is probably not time to press the panic button yet, but Son Heung-min certainly has his work cut out for him to defend his Golden Boot in the Premier League this season. The South Korean star for Tottenham Hotspur has not yet scored after the first four matches into the 2022-2023 season. The four-game drought matches the longest goalless skid from the 2021-2022 season, when Son scored 23 goals to become the first Asian winner of the Premier League's scoring title. The chance to break the

Aug. 31, 2022

Down but not out, Jeonbuk stay in hunt for K League title with hard-fought draw

With a second-half rally in their first match back from a heartbreaking loss in continental play, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have managed to stay within striking distance of their sixth consecutive K League 1 title. Jeonbuk played Pohang Steelers to a 2-2 draw at home, Jeonju World Cup Stadium in the southern city of Jeonju, Monday night, and reached 50 points for the season. Jeonbuk trail leaders Ulsan Hyundai FC by nine points with 10 matches to go this season. There is one last clash left between

Aug. 30, 2022

Tottenham's Son Heung-min held scoreless for 4th consecutive match

The scoreless streak for Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has reached four matches. The reigning Golden Boot winner in the Premier League did not find the back of the net in Spurs' 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest FC at The City Ground in Notthingham, England, on Sunday (local time). Tottenham improved to 10 points, remaining undefeated in the new season with three wins and a draw. Son netted 23 goals last season to become the first Asian scoring champion in Premier League history.

Aug. 29, 2022

S. Korean stars avoid each other in UEFA Champions League group stage

Two of South Korea's finest football players today will not face each other in the group stage of Europe's top club competition after all, though there is still a possibility of a showdown in the knockout phase. The draw for the group stage in this year's UEFA Champions League was held in Istanbul on Thursday (local time), with 32 clubs drawn into eight groups of four. Tottenham Hotspur and their South Korean star Son Heung-min ended up in Group D with the reigning Europa League w

Aug. 26, 2022

[Graphic News] Son among 2022 Ballon d’Or nominees

　Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean forward Son Heung-min was included on the list of 30 finalists for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. 　Son was named on France Football’s annual list for the second time after his nomination in 2019. Before Son, Korea’s Seol Ki-hyeon, who played in the Belgian soccer league and Park Ji-sung, a former Manchester United midfielder, made the list in 2002 and 2005, respectively. 　Paris Saint Germain’s Lionel Messi scored only six goals in the 202

Aug. 23, 2022

Jeonbuk's Gustavo voted K League's top player for July

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' Brazilian forward Gustavo was announced South Korean football's best player for July on Wednesday, becoming the third foreign player to capture the monthly award this season. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said Gustavo beat out three candidates for the Player of the Month award for July. Gustavo had four goals and an assist in five matches last month, helping Jeonbuk to an undefeated record with four wins and a draw. This is Gustavo's sec

Aug. 17, 2022

K League clubs at top, near bottom find more breathing room

With matches from the three-day weekend in the books in South Korean football, both a team pursuing an elusive title and another trying to avoid relegation next year have some much-needed breathing room. Ulsan Hyundai FC defeated reeling Daegu FC 4-0 on Saturday, with goals by four different foreign players. The list included their recent acquisition from Hungary, Martin Adam, with his first in the K League 1. Ulsan are going after their first title since 2005. Later that same evening, Jeonbuk H

Aug. 16, 2022

S. Korean football's 2 worst clubs set for weekend showdown

While the title race has been drawing most of the attention in the top South Korean football league in recent weeks, the spotlight will turn to the bottom of the tables this weekend, with the two worst clubs gearing up for their third meeting of the season. Suwon Samsung Bluewings, ranked 11th out of the 12 K League 1 clubs, will host last-place Seongnam FC at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul. Seongnam have been in last place for most of the seas

Aug. 12, 2022

Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min tasked with carrying S. Korea to knockouts in Qatar

When Son Heung-min made his FIFA World Cup debut eight years ago in Brazil, he was far from being the international star that he is today, having just completed his first season with Bayer Leverkusen following three years with Hamburger SV. Son, then the youngest South Korean player at 21, scored his first career World Cup goal in Brazil, but it came in a 4-2 defeat to Algeria in the second group match, a loss so devastating that it overshadowed what should have been a shining moment for the you

Aug. 11, 2022

S. Korea in for tough battle to reach knockouts as countdown to World Cup nears 100 days

With the countdown to the FIFA World Cup nearing 100 days, South Korea will be bracing themselves for a challenging battle for the knockout phase at football's grandest showcase for the first time in 12 years. The 22nd edition of the World Cup will kick off in Qatar on Nov. 12, and the countdown clock will hit 100 days Saturday. This is the first World Cup to take place in the Arab world and the second to be held in Asia, following the 2002 event co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. Qatar is

Aug. 11, 2022

Son Heung-min collects assist in Tottenham's season-opening win

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min is off to a fine start to the new Premier League season, picking up an assist in the club's season-opening victory at home. Son, the reigning co-Golden Boot winner, set up Eric Dier's go-ahead header in the 31st minute, as Spurs defeated Southampton 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday (local time). Son played the entire match. Son took a corner just past the half-hour mark, awarded after his close-range shot wa

Aug. 7, 2022

K League's top 2 teams set for 3rd clash of season

So they meet again. Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the two best teams in South Korean football so far this year, will square off for the third time this season on Sunday. The kickoff is 7 p.m. at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonbuk's home located some 200 kilometers south of Seoul. They split the first two meetings. Ulsan lead the K League 1 with 51 points, and Jeonbuk trail them by six points, with 14 matches left this season. Both teams had rather uninspiring matches earlier in the

Aug. 5, 2022

Son Heung-min goes for 2nd straight Golden Boot as new Premier League season kicks off

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min will begin his chase for another piece of history when the new Premier League season kicks off on the weekend. Spurs will open the 2022-2023 campaign by hosting Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London at 3 p.m. Saturday local time, or 11 p.m. Saturday in Seoul. Last season, Son became the first Asian player to lead the Premier League in scoring, sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool by scoring 23 goals. Since

Aug. 5, 2022

Amid K League success, ex-Barca player Lee Seung-woo linked with Scottish club Hearts

In the midst of his strong first season in South Korea, former FC Barcelona player Lee Seung-woo is apparently drawing interest from Europe. Edinburgh Evening News reported Sunday (local time) that Heart of Midlothian FC, commonly known as Hearts, had offered Lee a three-year deal to leave Suwon FC and join the Scottish Premiership club. For days leading up to that report, there had been whispers that clubs in Europe and Asia were trying to pry the 24-year-old from the K League 1 team. According

Aug. 2, 2022

S. Korean Premier Leaguer Hwang Hee-chan condemns racism after abuse in friendly

Wolverhamton Wanderers' South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan spoke up against racism Tuesday, some 24 hours after being subjected to discriminatory abuse during a preseason friendly in Portugal. "We are all the same human beings. We all need to have a mature attitude on enjoying sports," Hwang wrote on his Instagram page. "I really hope today could be the last day of people's suffering from racism. Not only in sport. But everywhere. No to racism." Hwang scored a pena

Aug. 2, 2022