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Q & A: S. Korea coach Gus Hiddink
Posted: Tuesday April 23, 2002 6:50 PM
What
do you think of the draw?
It's very exciting to be in a group with opponents such as Portugal
and Poland. It's a big challenge, but it's also a fantastic opportunity
for us to show the world what we can do.
How
do you assess your opponents?
People say Portugal are the most dangerous, but they are well known
to us. Poland are a real headache because they have hardly appeared
in the previous tournaments. Nor will the USA be easy. They play
a version of European football.
What
is your target?
I am confident that we can qualify for the second round. It is hard
to measure morale, but we are working hard and we will enjoy some
home advantage.
Who
will win the World Cup?
England, France or Argentina.
You
seem to be trying to introduce Dutch ideas to players who may not
have that capability?
That's partly true, but I have done it before. After Euro 96 I made
some changes to the Dutch team and made them a more attractive team
to watch. It would be stubborn to do the same here, not knowing
the players. But after five or six months, I felt I had the players
to go down the same road that I went with the Dutch team.
The
Dutch are taught from an early age to play a certain style. Is it
easy for the Koreans to adapt?
One of the problems with Korean players is that they lack experience.
With respect, the K-League is not one of the biggest leagues. But
the players are very open to ideas and they learn very fast. In
the process, they make a lot of mistakes, but it's been one of the
most positive things. In the West, especially in Holland, young
players can be rather stubborn. That can be a good quality, but
mostly it is negative.
The
less physical side of Asian soccer must be frustrating for you.
In the short term, you can't make the players bigger or stronger.
That's true. It's one of my main concerns and that's why I made
sure that our warm-up program consisted of games against European
or African teams. In the past, South Korea have played second- or
third-rate Asian countries, got good results, and so everyone in
Korea thought things were going well. Then they have fallen down
at a World Cup. With strong opposition, there is always the danger
of being beaten, and we have lost. But we have learnt a lot more
from playing the Czechs or Nigeria.
How
have your preparations been going?
I have 90 per cent of the team selected in my mind. Since January
I have had them 24 hours a day. We've been playing lots of games,
but there has also been a tough training program. We are working
on developing their mobility, their explosiveness.
What
about access to the overseas-based players?
They are the only problem, particularly the Europe-based players,
who are not playing regularly. I have talked about it with their
managers, who are only thinking of bringing players in to make lots
of money. But the more money they get, the less importance they
place on player development.
Some
coaches are worried the atmosphere at the World Cup will be artificial.
Are you concerned?
The crowd always supports the Korean national team and there is
always a good atmosphere. But the Europeans may find it difficult.
From World Soccer magazine.
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