Coach Tom's update from Seoul - Day 4

UNITED Supporters,

It is always exciting to watch soccer on game day in a ‘soccer culture’. Today, Kim and I watched official youth and professional league games. Game day in a foreign country always helps put perspective to soccer culture in the United States. Korea’s soccer culture can rival any country in the world.

Our day began by watching two U12 Boys games in Seoul. The style of play was very technical and tactical, with less emphasis on physical play. The Seoul league is venue based and very professionally run. Venue based means that all teams in the league play at the same field all day game after game. The field was sixty yards by one hundred years and the goals were six feet high by eighteen yards wide. This field size and goal size are smaller then Rec #3. The reason for this is to create game conditions that are appropriate to the age group. If the field and goals are to big the game conditions do not reflect the relative speed and size of an actual soccer game. In other words, young players get lost on the field because the size of the field/goals is too big. The league included four referees; two lines man, a center referee, and a fourth official to handle substitutions. A medical team was present, as well as a professional crew of four employees that tend to any game day details. All teams were organized and uniformed. The highlight was watching a player already labeled the ‘Korean Maradaona’; meaning he is world class player for his age. I had heard about this player all week from various soccer officials and after he scored a hat trick in ten minutes I was convinced he was special.

The Korean equivalent to Major League Soccer is the K-league, abbreviated for the Korean League. Tonight’s professional game was between first place FC Seoul versus second place Jeonjung Motors. The quality of play was very similar to Major League Soccer (USA professional league); physical play and moments of brilliants. Jeonjung scored a great goal thirty five minutes into the first half and FC Seoul answered with two goals in the second half to win 2-1. The game took place in the 2002 Seoul World Cup Stadium. The stadium sits just outside of downtown Seoul in an area that is full of museums and parks. There were many kids dressed in FC Seoul colors. In fact several local kids road their bikes to the game without parent supervision returning home approximately 10:00 PM. Jeonjung boasted approximately two thousands traveling supporters that sang and chanted the duration of the game. FC Seoul dominated team fan support with approximately thirty five thousand fans. Each team boasted foreign players from Brazil, Serbia and Argentina. I felt the Korean players (eight starters per team) played their positions very well but the foreign players added more flair to the game.

This will be my final email from Korea. I have enjoyed recapping the day’s events and appreciate all correspondence from United players and parents.

See you next week!

Tom Atencio
Director of Coaching and Player Development
Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club

GO SODIUM!!