Football All-Stars ready to entertain fans at mid-summer festivities

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- On the eve of the annual All-Star Game in the top domestic football league, the event's main attractions said on Thursday they're looking forward to a chance to put on an entertaining show for the fans.

The All-Stars of the K League Classic will face a team of active and former players as picked by Park Ji-sung, the retired South Korean football icon who will make his final appearance at home. The kickoff is 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Park's squad will be coached by Guus Hiddink, the Dutchman who led Park and an upstart South Korea to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

The K League Classic All-Stars will be coached by Hwang Sun-hong, who won his first league title with Pohang Steelers last season and is on course for a second straight championship in 2014. Hwang will have Sangju Sangmu forward Lee Keun-ho, who scored a goal against Russia at this year's World Cup in Brazil, on offense.

At the pre-match press conference held at the venue of the game, "fun" was the operative word.

"First and foremost, we have to play an entertaining match for our fans," Park said. "I'd love to score a goal myself but my focus is on making it a fun game for the fans. It's a great honor to be making my final appearance here."

Park began his professional career in Japan and moved to Europe after the 2002 World Cup, first playing for Hiddink at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and then becoming the first South Korean to play in the Premier League when he joined Manchester United in 2005. Park has never played professionally in South Korea.

He said he mostly selected players that he has played with either at club level or on the national team and that his chemistry with them shouldn't be an issue.

"Most of the players on my team are active and I am sure they know the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents tomorrow," he said. "I am more worried about myself than anyone else."

Park's squad includes his former national team sidekicks, defender Lee Young-pyo and forward Lee Chun-soo, along with Suwon Bluewings' North Korean striker Jong Tae-se and former Japanese captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.

Hiddink, who was made an honorary South Korean citizen after his success with the national team, said the country always feels like home to him.

"I heard the stadium will be almost full (tomorrow)," he said. "The public must enjoy a very energetic and beautiful game. It may be the first step toward the new era in Korean football. I know the players and they're dedicated to make it a beautiful game."

Hwang's K League squad will feature five players from the World Cup squad: forwards Lee Keun-ho and Kim Shin-wook, goalkeepers Kim Seung-gyu and Lee Bum-young and defensive back Lee Yong. Kim Seung-gyu led all players with nearly 100,000 votes.

He said South Korean football, after the country's winless World Cup in Brazil, is at a crossroads, and fans' support of their domestic league will help put the sport in the right direction.

"In order for our football to further develop, the K League Classic must win support of the fans," he said. "I hope we can show people tomorrow that our league can be entertaining to watch."

Lee Keun-ho also said he wanted to have fun on Friday but also to beat his opponents.

"I am going to try to score a lot and perform goal celebrations," he said. "I am excited just to be playing in it. I hope our fans can feel the same way."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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