World Cup 2014 Preview – Korea Republic

Korea Republic are looking for a good showing this World Cup after finishing in fourth place in 2002, when they hosted the tournament, and making the round of 16 on foreign soil in 2010 for the first time in the country's history.

Korea have some good players on their squad, and their ranking at #56 in FIFA's World Rankings may be a bit low considering the talent that is on the team. Lee Chung-yong is the leader of the team, playing his club soccer for Bolton Wonderers in the English Premier League. Chung-yong is a skilled winger with great speed and an uncanny ability to score goals from the wide position, not to mention a great assist man. If Korea Republic want to play well this summer, Chung-yong needs to play well in space and set up crosses into the box for their talented strikers Kim Shin-wook and Lee Keun-ho.

Shin-wook and Keun-ho are Korean players who have had success domestically for their individual clubs, but they'll need to be prepared to do the same on the largest stage in soccer.  Shin-wook has netted 87 goals in his short professional career, at the young age of 26. His play will be vital if Korea Republic have dreams of advancing to the knockout stage of the 2014 World Cup.

My prediction: South Korea have some good players, but they don't have the experience or skill on the backline to keep teams from attacking consistently, and in Group H, there is plenty of firepower to go around. Korea finish 4th and are sent home disappointed yet again.