Here comes Hwang

Hiddink pins goalscoring hopes on veteran striker

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Guus Hiddink, head coach of South Korea's World Cup squad, has lamented a lack of "killers" to put goals away. The team has won just two of its nine matches this year, including a shoot-out victory against Mexico in January.

Hiddink's face-saver is Hwang Sun-hong, a lanky 33-year-old forward whose graceful play and amicable smile have endeared him to fans and earned him the nickname: Hwangse, which translates to "Stork."

In a March 21 match against Finland, Hwang fired two goals in the final minutes to give the Koreans a 2-0 win.

Flashing a satisfied smile, Hiddink said the win highlighted South Korea's "potentials."

"Hwang, without a doubt, is one of the best strikers South Korea has," said Hur Jung-moo, a former national coach. "He has the ability to shake off enemy defenders and put in the goal in a surefooted manner."

Hwang has led the national team's offense since 1988, scoring 49 goals in 95 international matches. He led scoring in the 1994 Asian Games. In 1999, playing with Cerezo Osaka, Hwang led Japan's J-League in scoring with 24 goals. He now is with Kashiwa Reysol of Japan.

Despite the accolades, he's failed to live up to his resume during his trips to the World Cup finals in 1990, 1994 and 1998. Bogged down by injuries, Hwang scored only once in those tournaments.

But the ill-fated star is determined to mend his reputation this year -- and become a badly needed Korean hero.

During its five previous appearances at the world soccer's marquee tournament, South Korea has never won a match. The country hopes to end the jinx this year. Hwang will be playing on home soil and thinks that'll help ensure he doesn't get overawed by the occasion.

"Trying to make up for my poor performances in past tournaments could burden me," Hwang said recently. "I could put on a better show if I keep my composure as if I were playing in the local league."

This year, fans hope that playing at home stadiums will increase South Korea's chances of achieving the ever elusive goal of clearing the 32-nation first round for the first time.

Hiddink has until mid-May to release his final roster. Hwang is considered a sure pick.

Others expected to join South Korea's offense lineup are Ahn Jung-hwan of Italy's Perugia, Seol Ki-hyun of Belgium's Royal Antwerp and Choi Yong-soo, who play for JEF United Ichihara in Japan.

 

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