Home-based players dominate S. Korean lineup for March friendlies

By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean men's national football team has gone decidedly local for two friendly matches this month. The Korea Football Association (KFA) on Tuesday unveiled a team of three goalkeepers, nine defenders, nine midfielders and six forwards for friendly matches against Honduras on March 25 and Montenegro on March 29. The team will open a training camp on March 23. Of the 27 players, 15 are plying their trade in the domestic K-League. Earlier this month, coach Cho Kwang-rae said he would like to test home-based players and sort out new talent to take to Asian qualification rounds for the 2014 World Cup starting this September. Cho had also said he would not call up young players who've recently joined foreign clubs and who may still need time to establish themselves. That left Koo Ja-cheol, the leading scorer at the Asian Cup in January who has since joined VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, and Son Heung-min, a dazzling 18-year-old rookie for Hamburg SV in Germany, off the team this month. Cho, who has stressed speed and creativity since taking the helm last summer, stuck to his principles this time, too. "The most important criteria in selecting the players were the ability to play a fast transition game and to execute team plays," Cho said at a press conference. "We also looked at players' ability to play man-to-man defense and their creativity in the passing game." The coach said he will try to create competition within the team by shifting players' positions in the two friendly matches. "I will ask players to apply tough forechecks on defense and make quick, fun passes on offense," Cho added. A 22-year-old striker, Park Gi-dong headlines a list of five national team rookies. Park, a captain for Gwangju FC in the K-League, impressed Cho by scoring two goals in the K-League opener two weeks ago. "When he was in college, I thought he had the potential to be the best striker in the nation," Cho said of the 191-centimeter forward. "Things didn't quite pan out for him in Japan (where he toiled in a second-division team), but he has a great nose for the goal. I have high expectations of him." Other unheralded players include Kim Sung-hwan, a midfielder for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma; Kim Tae-hwan, a 21-year-old defender for FC Seoul; and Cho Chan-ho, a speedy midfielder for Pohang Steelers. Coach Cho said Kim Sung-hwan is a "feisty" player who can provide a defensive edge in the midfield and who can thread long, accurate passes to forwards. The coach called Cho Chan-ho "an intelligent player" who can also make sharp passes. The national team has a gaping hole at the right fullback position, with the Scotland-based Cha Du-ri on the mend with ankle pains. Coach Cho said Kim Tae-hwan is a prime candidate to fill the void thanks to his speed. The rookies are joined by some experienced veterans, such as midfielders Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League and Ki Sung-yueng of Celtic FC in the Scottish Premier League, and forward Park Chu-young of AS Monaco in the first-division French league. Also back from the Asian Cup are starting goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong and hard-working midfielder Lee Yong-rae, both of Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Forward Lee Keun-ho, who has been on and off the national team in recent matches because of inconsistent playing, will get another look up front. One notable absence was defensive back Hong Jeong-ho of Jeju United, who was recently suspended for five matches by the K-League after making an obscene hand gesture toward the stands following the team's season opener earlier this month. Cho stressed that a national team member should also be "a citizen respected by fans" and that every player on the national squad must strive for that. South Korean football is undergoing a transitional phase, following international the retirements of Park Ji-sung, a midfielder for Manchester United, and fullback Lee Young-pyo of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. The duo represented the country at three World Cups and left the national team for good after the Asian Cup, having played more than 100 international games each. The Honduras match is at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium, while the Montenegro game is at 8 p.m. at Suwon World Cup Stadium, south of Seoul. Honduras is ranked 38th in the world and Montenegro is 25th, while South Korea is 29th in the latest FIFA rankings.