After Mexico made it two wins from two, Stevie Nicol forecasts how far El Tri’s work rate and quality can continue to take them in Russia.
South Korea goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo has told ESPN FC he hopes to land a dream move to England one day, but remains focused on their crunch final World Cup group game against Germany.
Cho, 26, was not expected to start in the tournament but has been one of South Korea’s best performers despite two defeats from two games against Sweden and Mexico.
If the Taeguk Warriors are to progress, they have to defeat Germany by two goals on Wednesday and hope Sweden lose to Mexico.
“We know about the quality of the German team,” Cho said. “They are the world champions and are full of world-class players.
“We are looking forward to the game and we know that we will have to be at our best. These are the games you want to play in as a player, and we will do everything we can to get a good result.”
Cho, who plays for Daegu FC, one of the K-League’s smaller teams, won plaudits for a superb point-blank save to deny Sweden striker Marcus Berg in the opening game, instantly getting to his feet to punch the loose ball to safety.
“I am happy if people think I am playing well,” he said. “But this is a team game and I want to thank all my teammates and the staff for the support they have given me. I hope I can repay them for their help and faith.”
Asian goalkeepers rarely make it to the big European leagues, but Cho said his ambition one day is to achieve such a move.
“I would like to play in Europe one day, and especially in England,” he said. “There you can face the best strikers in the world and really improve as a goalkeeper.
First, though, I still have a lot to learn in the K-League and want to show fans at home my best performance in every game.”
Asian expert John Duerden is the author of Lions and Tigers: Story of Football in Singapore and Malaysia.Twitter: @JohnnyDuerden.
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