UPDATE: And in a related post, JoyNews 24 reports that the Japanese press is, and this is the headline, “excessively disparaging Korea,” namely because the Nikkan Sports had the audacity to suggest that Korea earned a tie against France through a bad call. The Japanese sports daily also quoted a nameless Korean Football Association official as saying that post-game bitching was unsportsmanlike, and that had the first half finished with Korea down 2-nil, the Taegeuk Warriors would have stepped up their game in the second half.
That piece has earned Naver.com some 3,362 comments and 15 trackbacks so far.
ORIGINAL POST: Reuters does the unthinkable—suggest that there are individuals in this world who question the refereeing in Korea’s World Cup matches in 2002 and 2006:
South Korea’s battling 1-1 draw with 1998 champions France on Sunday revived memories of their remarkable run to the semi-finals in 2002 but also served a reminder that they are not immune from refereeing controversy.
The Koreans stunned Italy and Spain on their way to a fourth-place finish at the last World Cup but their achievement was overshadowed by allegations of incompetence and even bias against match officials.
Not here it wasn’t.
Television replays suggested France should have taken a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute of Sunday’s match at the Zentralstadion in Leipzig when a Patrick Vieira header looked well over the line despite goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae’s efforts to claw it away.
Mexican referee Benito Archundia waved play on and further enraged the French in the 85th minute by booking Zinedine Zidane and ruling him out of the next match against Togo.
In the quarter-finals in 2002, Spain’s players were furious at two controversially disallowed goals and Ivan Helguera had to be restrained from the referee at the end of the match after South Korea sealed victory in a penalty shootout.
In the previous round, Ecuador’s Byron Moreno turned down Italian pleas for a penalty, wrongly disallowed a goal for offside and sent Francesco Totti off for diving.
We here at the Marmot’s Hole, however, are completely unbiased and would never think to make wild accusations that the refereeing in any of those matches was anything other than sterling, and anyone who says differently is a big anti-Korean fathead. Or Japanese.
Anyway, you can read the rest of the piece on your own or you could go over to the comments section on the (translated version) of the story over at Naver.com—932 comments and counting!
177 Comments
What?? South Korea… in a game with questionable refereeing??? Impossible! South Korea is never embroiled in controversy over referee calls… in any sport!
Really, why does the writer bring this up? I mean, what team that’s currently in the World Cup hasn’t benefitted from a questionable referee call at some point in the past? That’s just a part of the sport… almost any sport, for that matter.
Bad calls may be part of the sport, but even the Korean goalkeeper seemed surprised when the referee let him get away with catching the ball behind the line. And MBC TV commentators suddenly when quiet, instead of pointing out the mistake. Maybe karma will kick in during Korea’s match with Switzerland?
‘why does the writer bring this up when these kinds of things happen to other teams as well?’ zonath
two reasons:
1. because they’re korean
and
2. because they’re asians.
anytime asians (and specially koreans) equalize or beat westerners, the first thing you’ll hear in the west is how asians cheat to get where they are. how the referees refereed is of no fault to the koreans. but in the western eye the ways the referees refereed is a way to reinforce the notion that asians can only beat westerners by cheating and/or luck.
on another note, i’m satisfied with korea’s performance. should they lose their next match, it will not matter, as korea has shown that team korea is no fluke.
pawi’s prediction:
korea will become a soccer powerhouse within the next five to ten years with five being more likely. now, calm down, expat. don’t go bezerk on me. just keep in mind that ALL of pawi’s predictions
about korea have come to pass.
‘goalkeeper seemed surprised.’
seemed? that means that’s your interpretation as a korea basher.
‘koreans went silent. they could have pointed it out.’
show me more than one team in the world of soccer that has ever admitted to winning due to referee calls. btw, gerry, should michael hamm always mention his gold medal was due to a technicality?
‘maybe karma will catch up next game.’
i’ll bet you’re on your knees praying for that outcome, gerry. you really hate koreans. don’t ya, gerry?
“don’t go bezerk on me. just keep in mind that ALL of pawi’s predictions about korea have come to pass.”
Danger Mouse hates people who refer to themselves in the third person.
Actually, Pawikirogi, I am hoping some “Hollywood action” steals the game from Korea. I think it is about time that Switzerland is put on Korea’s hate list.
That matter-of-fact wire report is non controversial and I’m shocked that it got 932 comments on Naver. Surely there are some Koreans who are aware of this issue, even as it is ignored by local media?
pawikirogi is right. Racism sells papers. These mass media has to make money to feed their workers and give return on investment.
Truth? F*** truth! Got to sell contents. Got to make money!
Most of Reuters’ readers love to read story that rips Asians. And, Reuter obliges.
Got to pay the mortage. And, don’t forget, the baby needs new shoes.
Some day, the Chinese get rich and they become the majority readers of Reuter(the name of this outfit will be ChaReu), Reuter will be very aggressive in dissing the Japanese and Europeans.
Baduk—I also heard Reuters initiates its reporters by making them strangle kittens.
Slim—it’s at 1677 comments now.
pawikirogi…
Its a long jump from pointing out that Korea’s team has been exceptionally fortunate with referee’s decisions to hating Koreans. You Asians have had quite a few things over us whiteys for a number of years, but nobody I know gives a pint of donkey’s spunk about it. If you are Korean, you’d be well advised to go back and think of the Ohno controversy or the more recent gymnastics fiasco to see what a truelly fully-blow racist and vitriolic attack on another nation over a bad call looks like. On another note, I’ve been griping about this for the last two days, but as and Englishman I’ve been going on about the hand of god goal in Mexico in 1986 for 20 years now. I’m also partial to letting those who will listen know about the Italian’s conniving ways and the tendency of most teams on the (European) continent to be dirty cheats. It’s far from racism, mate, but rather a quintessential part of being a TRUE football fan, pointing out how lucky/crap/overrated teams other than your own are. Now don’t you have to be off talking fast fours on some AZN Pride forum?
As any lawyer would gladly point out, there are two sides to any story. Always two sides. And, his job is to bring his client’s truth to light while throwing mud on the other side.
Newspapers do the same. Just see any Fox network broadcast. They have to reinforce the viewers’ biases and sell contents.
However, some dingbats in society still believe these newspapers give “unbiased” view of the world.
Let me just ask these questions:
1) How these reporters eat? Does government pay them? Do we collect money to give to them?
2) No. No. No. They entertain us. They reinforce our vias. They make us feel we are correct.
3) News business is an entertainment business. They sell positive reinforcement.
4) Therefore, to be an intellectual. Always doubt the report. Doubt the newspaper editors. Doubt the sources quoted. Think about why would someone say what he/she said. Any conflict of interest?
The article above is probably written by a non-Korean writer. Conflict of interest!
By pushing other racial groups down, his group goes up.
Sad, but true.
baduk, for the most part i find your viewpoints to be both entertaining and eye-opening (in the case of HWS), but you’re way off base here with your claims of racism. How is an article written by a non-Korean writer a conflict of interest?
And you’re lecturing us on how to be intelectuals?
Pawikirogi/Baduk: Where was the Western backlash when Japan won the WBC? or when Korea was dominating through the first half of the tournament? Here in the States, there was nothing but admiration about their style play.
If anything, the Reuters article shows 2 things: 1. Korea has been involved in several controversial calls in 2002 and 2006, and 2. KOREA IS NOW RELEVANT.
#1 is absolutely true. Every disallowed goal is controversial, especially in the knock-out round. I am not suggesting that the goals should or should not have been disallowed, but only that they are controversial by nature because of their substantial impact on the game’s outcome. Everyone knows that it takes a little bit of luck to win anything, and there’s no shame in saying that Korea was the lucky recipient of having a few controversial call go its way (correctly or not).
#2 is what really matters. Is the fact that Korea is getting some attention so bad? The article stops far short of accusing Korea of any impropriety.
I believe that Korean national team has handled itself very well on and off the field. I think the nationalist sections of the Korean media (i.e. Naver should stop reprinting articles after editorializing it with phrases like “꼬집었다,” “들추어냈다,” “억지를 부리고 있는 듯한 뉘앙스를 풍기기도 했다,” “조심스런 반응을 보였다고 덧붙였다.”) and the fans (there are a surprising number of posts on Naver that take a reasonable approach to this “controversy.”) should follow their example.
I think Korean government and people should boycott Reuters. Kick out Reuters from Korea.
Some may say this is too harsh. Well, you got to be cruel to be kind.
This came at the right moment. When Koreans are up about World cup, this dog from Reuter diss Korea.
Well, well, well. Just the right time. Kick Reuters ass. Hurt them. Make them pay.
If Koreans mount a good attack on Reuters, they will fire the writer of this article (he outlived his usefulness. His article is already printed!) and apologize to Korean people and Korean soccer players.
Korea must learn to do this! Kick Reuters ass!
Meow!
Did you actually READ the article or (in Pawi’s case) have the gist explained to you? It takes no position on the calls and quotes the Korean coach as dismissing the latest and the French player expressing doubts himself about the goal in question.
Balanced journalism is an alien concept in Korea, but Baduk, you live in the United States. Get a grip!
Only Koreans and Oversea Koreans can diss Koreans.
When other people (like this article) diss Korea, it is done with ulterior motive.
Reuters is just a company. If McDonalds diss Korea in one of its advertisement (by something like “We don’t serve dogburgurs even in Korea”), Koreans must fight back by boycotting McDonalds.
The same is true with newspapers. They sell contents. If the contents do not fit Korea, kick Reuter’s ass. Kick it hard to teach a lesson, never to diss Korea.
Korea must learn to do this as a nation.
Baduk,
Why so harsh? Are you having a bad day? Only Koreans can diss Koreans? Does that apply to every country?
Baduk,
Vank, netizens, they already do that collectively as a nation. That the rest of the world collectively fails to give a toss at the (generally) emotive and irrational rantings seems to be of little concern to the above.
I firmly believe that there was no second French goal. Simply because from the angle of the camera, we cannot tell if the ENTIRE ball went over the line. In my mind, it’s no goal, if there is any doubt. The referee made the correct call in this case under the circumstances at that time.
As for Reuter’s
“Mexican referee Benito Archundia waved play on and further enraged the French in the 85th minute by booking Zinedine Zidane and ruling him out of the next match against Togo.”
The article seems to imply that Zidane’s booking was unfair, and that Koreans were getting all the calls. Frankly, I don’t remember that play which involved Zidane. Can anyone tell me if he really deserved that booking? Although it seemed to me, most of the fouls were going against the Koreans, and most of the free kicks were given to the French.
If the referee was biased for the Koreans, he was doing a pissed poor job of helping the Koreans (minus the goal line controversy).
Baduk:
1. I do not think it’s fair to compare Reuters or any other respectable news agency/gatherer to Fox News.
2. Your questions are very valid and the public must be extra-diligent in asking those questions when receiving news from sources, such as KBS, which has historically been entangled with the government. I would certainly suggest the same when watching FOX News, which clearly has a conservative agenda. However, Reuters has no known agenda against Koreans or Asians in general, and there is no reason to suspect that there is one. Your “conflict of interest” is no conflict at all. In fact, that’s what I would call independent reporting (relative to, say, a Korean report on the same subject). For example, KBS has already released broadcasts where they determined that Vieria’s goal DEFINITELY did not cross the goal-line. The Reuter’s article’s statement is a much more reasonable “Television replays SUGGESTED….”
It is same with Blacks. Only blacks can diss other blacks.
If a member of other race disses blacks, all black people get together and kick his ass.
Koreans must learn from black people. Get together and kick Reuters’ ass. Nail it!
Baduk: I don’t know you at all, but you are losing credibility with every post. Only Koreans and Koreans living overseas have the right to criticize Korea? What do you think your Korean friends living in Korea will say to that?
cm: I do not agree that the article implies that the call against Zidane was “unfair.” No doubt, the article is claiming that the call was controversial and “enraged the French,” because it means that Zidane, the great French hero, will not be available for France’s next game. I think the problem is that it’s easy to read the article as saying some calls are fair or unfair, rather than just that they are controversial.
BTW, here’s what the Korean media thinks about “unfair” calls that go their way: http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....40019.html
Baduk,
You have to learn that something with supposed negative connotations concerning a few members of the Korean nation is far from a slight on the whole lot of you. Should someone write something about an English or Australian sporting team, or a handful of individuals, I don’t get up on my high horse and start calling it some kind of conspiracy. You should try it too, its what being part of a mature nation is all about. Helps you get taken seriously too!
cm,
Zidan kicked a standing Korean player with his knee from the back, so that the refree would not see.
It was dirty and deliverate. Very dirty. His only reason to do this was to get back at Koreans for scoring an equalizer.
Tells a lot about his character. Dirty French! So angry that an Asian team can tie the Mighty Blue. The team is 90% black players. It is like French people went out and bought players from all around the world, to show the French people are good soccer players.
Zidan is like many people I have seen. They are nice to you if you make less money than them. But, watch out. Once you come up to their income level, they want to kill themselves. An Asian making the same amount money, I must be a failure!
F***.
Zidan, the most respected player in the world, was a crook. Remind me of Nixon.
I don’t understand why it’s so hard to admit that Korea may have benefitted from referee mistakes - and I’m not talking strictly about the France match. It’s not a sign of weakness. Other nations/people are able to do that. Why is it so hard for some here to do it?
Repeat after me: “Yeah, we had a little luck on our side. That’s the way sports go sometimes.”
It won’t hurt. I promise.
Aaronm, Icebert:
Yeah, we had a little luck on our side. That’s the way sports go somtimes.
Please note that I am Korean-American (born in Korea, but immigrated to US when 8). There are Koreans and Korean-Americans who are blindly nationalistic. However, there are many Koreans (it surprised to see so many on Naver.com discussing this very article) and Korean-Americans who hold a more rational and reasonable view of matters such as this minor incident. Please refrain from thinking that Baduk is in any way representative of Korea or Koreans at large.
Plockhoy,
I am not condoning Korean media at all. They are immersed in nationalism to the max on the same level as Chinese and Japanese media.
However, this article by collecting and presenting a set of data that are unfavorable to Koreans implies a certain character of Koreans. By assembling this particular set of views, the writer is implying something.
Do you get it? It is a reinforcement of some people’s bias.
Korea must fight this type of “reinforcement”, which is based on racism. Yes, racism.
Many westerners hide behind “facts” but the reason for collecting and presenting these “facts” is racism.
Fight racism!
Do you know the slogan for this world cup? “Make friends and fight racism”.
Baduk:
“Many westerners hide behind “facts” but the reason for collecting and presenting these “facts” is racism.”
Fight on!
I do not believe that the article says anything or implies anything about Koreans other than that the national soccer team of Korea was involved in a few controversial calls in 2002 and 2006. Anything else you read into it is a product of your own bias against the “Westerners.”
Not that I take anything coming from my cat seriously, but I found the above comments somewhat humerous considering this this fact.
While the author of the article may not be Korean, Reuters is strongly represented here in Korea by someone of Korean ethnicity, FYI.
Not a judgement call on my part, just some useless trivia. Anyway…carry on!
Dammit that link didn’t go through. Anyway, you’ll just have to trust me on this!
Plockhoy,
Obviously you don’t read anything into the article. But, you must admit that many would.
And, you must stop standing up for foreigners. I am a foreigner to Koreans. I am too American for them. I am a foreigner.
There are bad Koreans and bad foreigners. Let’s not take sides.
However, this article by Reuters. Does it help Korea’s image or Does it tarnish the image? You may say it is just a sports article.
But, I differ. This article is implying something. Yes. it is. I am not blind by “anti-racism”. This article suggest somehow Koreans are not playing honest soccer and Koreans are not winning the game fair-and-square.
Koreans are doing it by some dishonest means, this article implies, as most Asians do in their dealings. You may say that I am reading too much into it but why did this reporter collect this particular set of data, while totally disregarding bad calls Koreans got. Why one sided? What is his/her reason for collecting this set of data, other than throwing mud on Koreans.
And, you are telling me to be quiet.
Baduk: You are hallucinating. The article implies nothing of the sort.
Plockhoy: You’re not alone. Many of the Koreans in the bar where I watched the game also acknowledged that it appeared to be a goal.
Again, shit happens in sports. Why some people are so defensive about it is beyond me.
jodi,
I know there are sellouts. Media companies hire them and groom them to write with “correct perspective”. What is correct perspective? The one that sells papers.
Make money, man. Lots of it.
Koreans must get together and correct the behavior of Reuters. This is not a boxer rebellion. Just one bad company that used “mud throwing” to sell papers and eat. Chide Reuters and slam its fingers, so that it will not do it again.
For the record, Korea was called for 10 fouls and France was called for 20. Double the number of fouls is dubious at best. Whatever was being said about the “Nether Regions” a few days ago can be said for Korea in this match. They were fragile at best and I’d say been taking a few diving lessons. The same things that people used to say about certain Latin American teams a few years back (excess showmanship) has become a regular part of Korea’s game and not enough teams have complained for refs to try to be more discriminating. Now, as George Castanza says: “u can take your racism and stuff it in a sack.”
Baduk:
I did not read things into an article, because that is generally read, write and speak in English. I understand that Koreans are relatively indirect in their mode of communication, and, therefore, it is proper to read between the lines and look for hidden agenda or messages. This article was written in English by a Westerner. I believe the proper way to read the article is to read only the words that are written. If the reporter had wanted to imply anything more, he would have done so explictly. If the editors of the Reuters newspage had read the article as being biased, they would have edited out such sections. I cannot speak for the reporter, but I would guess that he has no bias in his heart against Korea and, as someone who learned to read/write in English (for sake of full disclosure, I am a U.S. trained lawyer, so I am well-aware of your point that one must not simply accept what he hears/reads), I do not see a reason to read the article as implying anything.
Article DEFINITELY does not suggest that Koreans are not playing honest soccer and does not imply that Koreans are not winning fair-and-square as you allege. The article, however, does suggest that if the controversial calls had not been decided in Korea’s favor, the games may have ended differently. That is a fair point. For example, if the referees had COUNTED Vieria’s goal, that would have been controversial. At that point, it would be fair to say that if France had not benefited from the controversial call, Korea could have scored a tying goal to salvage a draw. Again, I read the article as not being about whether the call was correct or incorrect and definitely not about whether Koreans did anything to influence the call. The article is simply about the fact that officiating is part of the game and the reporter uses Korea as a prominent example of just how big a part.
And, I have never told you to be quiet.
Just as Koreans should abandon “We vs. World”, ex-pats should abandon “We vs. Koreans” idea.
There are bad foreigners and they should be locked up regardless of their color/national origin. If you somehow take Reuters’ side because it is a Western media, then you are letting OJ go. Be more reasonable.
Reuters is a company. It sells news. It has no consideration for truth or even fairness (as seen by this article) as long as it makes money. And, you are speaking for the company and telling Koreans to be fair. Well, it was not a good article, a totally one-sided one.
And, I am not fighting all westerners. I love most westerners. We believe the same God who create the earth and human race. However, I believe “all men are created equal”, Koreans and Westerners. Equal, one to one.
Then, stop standing up for western media. They are money-making venture and this time it erred. Koreans must correct foreign media’s behavior when it does one-sided reporting.
Slam its fingers. Cut off them. (Am I becoming too Korean here?)
Baduk,
As a Korean-born American, you might consider yourself qualified to diss Korea, but many Koreans in the fatherland resent criticism from overseas Koreans.
When you speak of “foreigners,” who do you mean? Anybody who’s not Korean? Even though you’ve spent a number of years in the States and have even taken US citizenship, you still cling to that “we Koreans/those foreigners” worldview.
Having read the article, I agree with other posters who find no anti-Korean bias, just a typical story about questionable referee calls. There is nothing in the article that disses the Korean team, nevermind the Korean nation.
“Only Baduk can diss Baduk” — fortunately he is doing just that for us with his frothingly stupid views on the media. A soccer ball has more cerebral matter than you sometimes, dude.
MrChips,
I gather you do not know much about soccer. I have been playing and watching soccer for last forty years.
Soccer is a dirty sport. While refrees are not watching, players spit, pull, punch each other as well as kick each other as Zidan has done.
Dirty characters. Ugly human beings.
But, fist fights in hocky, Europeans love these dirty players. They love these dirty plays.
Every four years, these goons get together and play for the world. Like hooker convention that models bridal fashion, these dirty humans do their best to show good sides. But, their true nature comes out. Zidan showed.
Asian and African players are cleaner. Less of dirty plays. Eastern Europe players and Italians are the worst.
This time, refrees are calling more fouls. That is good. Soccer needs clean up. And, more refrees should be used in game(this may replace video-replay without slowing down the game).
You seem to suggest that Korean players are “acting”. That may be true. But, I have seen every game and every minute. To me, there are more fouls committed against Korean players that are not called. If Zidan were on the receiving side, refrees would have called every one of them for sure.
Soccer needs clean up. More fouls should be called.
If you have seen Brian Mcbride bleeding on the field, you would have said the same thing.
These goons need harsh punishment. Soccer needs to change to more “kinder and gentler” sport.
Baduk, I know enough to have ref’d high school and Div II soccer in US for 3 years. That hardly makes me an expert and I certainly don’t follow it as much as some. However, to consider pulling, pushing, tackling from behind and tripping as dirty is simplistic, at the very least. Dirty, as in what Korea was doing and does do consistently, is pretending to have been pushed or tripped and getting a call for it. Many of the fouls France was called were the result of pure dishonesty on the part of Korean players who seem to believe that tricking the referee is a legitimate part of the game. I view all out punching matches as more sportman-like than pretending to be knocked down in order to gain an advantage. I too have seen every single game of this world cup except for 2 and many calls are not called for all teams but Korea and Nether Regions so far dominate the teams who have benefitted from inventing fouls. They need to be carded for their showmanship otherwise we can start calling them the “New Uruguayans.”
And I saw McBride bleeding and any Italian will also tell you that what De Rossi did was stupid beyond measure and lacked even any attempt to hide it. It has nothing to do with the issue of dirty play where a player tries to get away with something to gain an advantage.
pawikirogi , what the hell are you talking about “korean team are no fluke?”
You talk like Korea has ever even WON the world cup. In my country a 4th place finish (and #25-35 world ranking) in anything is considered a disaster, yet in Korean terms this is something to lord over everybody and play on TV endlessly for years on end? Saaaad.
No matter what your previous record was 4th place is 4th place, and as Hiddink said there’s a big difference between 3rd and 4th (especially when so many people on several continents rightly continue to question the calls which consistently seem to go Korea’s way).
Me? I’m hoping Ghana takes it. I’d love to see an African team go all the way.
In all fairness one of the most read comments is 사실 골 맞잖아 인정해 걍.…
And the worst comment to that comment doesn’t use a single bad word. But it’s worse, really:
sigh
Mook, cheers on that, I would love to see Ghana take it; they have the heart and skill to beat anyone on any given day and are a pleasure to watch…
“Only Koreans and Oversea Koreans can diss Koreans.”
Okay, that was so jaw-droppingly stupid that it has to be a joke. Well, I guess we can tell all those enraged anti-Ohno people to shut the hell up, since they’re not American.
BTW, if Ghana wins, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it was the result of some sort of Evil Zionist Conspiracy.
(see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/727910.html)
All this will be moot point once Korea loses to Switzerland (thereby bowing out of the next round), as everyone expects to happen. Maybe then all this controversy can go away. I’m sick of all the bitch’n and moaning. I hope the Swiss win and put Korea dog out of its misery once and for all.
“확실하지 못한 이 사실로 우리가 당신 말대로 인정하면 그야말로 약소국인거야”
That 약소국 term is a big part of the Korean psyche. It’s surprising that that message got far more recs than the others combined despite the fact that most of the responses disagreed with the OP.
after devoting much of my well deserved free time to actually watching the matches, vs 2002 ( I only saw the Korean games for that year), I came to the conclusion that South Korea didn’t get any special calls that are outrageously off from regular World Cup matches.
That’s how they ref football games, what more do you want?
Italy plays dirty, even when they’re winning, what more do you want?
China, Japan, Vietnam, they’re jealous, what more can you say?
Why isn’t there a comparable outrage about the Italy : US game in 2006? I thought there would be more uproar about the US’s goal taken away.
It’s football as usual in the World Cup.
Bring a stretcher, I’m hurt ! Uh, you want to sit out the rest of the game? No, no, no ! I can still play. I thought you needed medical care. No, I can play. Don’t I get a direct goal kick or anything? How about a yellow card on the other guy?
Goals are taken away, off sides is called, so what?
Only jealousy accounts for the outrage on officiating.
I’m being objective, after watching a lot of matches.
Peoples’ bias do not change as seen by these posters. And, I am not surprised to see some of your hate of Koreans, all Koreans, have distorted your reasoning process.
See, you guys are not very different from Koreans. So, don’t say you are more “honest”, “decent” and “reasonable”. “Better informed” is a lie,too, in some areas because media just reinforces your neighborhood bias.
We are all sinners and come short of the original intention of God.
Just substitute “America” for “Korea” and “McBride” for “Park Jisung”, etc. Do it. Rewrite it. And, read it.
You will see what I mean.
Sorry I forgot to turn off the boldface.
How can all that boldface come from one commenter’s code?? that b odd…
National Passball League has its unappealing aspects, too. A lot of its members happen to commit strange and violent crimes. And what other sports has atheletes dying of heart attacks during a workout in the sun? Not in football played with feet.
NBA. Stern fixes most series to go to big markets and go to Game 7. Might as well not watch an NBA finals between 2 comparable teams, and wait for Game 6 to start watching. It’s so predictable.
MLB. They sold their soul and guts for the homerun.
NHL. Is it really necessary to fight during the last 3 minutes of Game 7, when you’re down by 2 goals with no chance to win?
MrChips,
Wow. Up to now, I thought you were a reasonable person. Maybe you and I sit together and review play-by-play. But, by your writing, I can see that it is of no use.
From experiences you have up to this point, you have made up your mind; “these sly Koreans are taking advantage, just like what happened to me”. This article reinforce your bias. And, that is exactly why this article was written! Bingo, hit the spot! Made a sale!
Your last post eradicates all semblance of reason that you pretended prior to that post. Your bias, just like Zidan’s dirty act, have come out.
So, several refrees (who has seen more of these falling acts in other games) all fell for Korean acts, which you can catch so easily.
C’mon, man. Come off your superiority wagon. Something you can see plain as a day, cannot be caught by these experienced, world-class refrees.
Only one conclusion: they got paid!
I am not denying the possibility. But, wasn’t it you, who said Koreans are reading things into western articles?
“See, you guys are not very different from Koreans. So, don’t say you are more “honest”, “decent” and “reasonable”. “Better informed” is a lie,too, in some areas because media just reinforces your neighborhood bias.”
Baduk, it should be morning time there…too early for alchohol. Come on man, u know better than that. Thats way too simplistic a view for whats going on in the game of “foosball.” Overly aggressive and physical play comes naturally but the kind of diving that is taking place (not just with Korea) is not a natural thing; it’s coached!! Make no bones about it, that is a learned ability.
As for our shortcomings to the original intention of God, I agree wholeheartedly and unabashedly…and place myself at the front of the line there…blogs can hide an enormity of issues, eh? but lookg, dirty play like what I’m talking about comes from coaching. I think Advocaat is a great coach but there is something going on between him, Hiddink, and the apparent adeptness of Dutch players to get phony calls. The Korean team has the talent to win games without that crap and I would like to see them work that out. I’m not anti-Korean by any stretch and I am confident they can achieve more in their victories by doing away with the diving practice…Park Ji Sung is too good to be falling = on the ground every 5 seconds to gain an advantage. He does it in Premier League and he’s doing it here in th Cup. He could do far more if he kept playing through the “fictitious” fouls and played with some more gutteral fortitude.
Mr. Chips, Mighty Portugal had to fall on the ground, and create a kick to get its first goal against Iran. Portugal had to dig out a dirty trick to score on Iran. That’s how they play football. Keep watching. It’s true.
Baduk, Really?? You thought before that I was reasonable?? That’ll teach you.
“Your last post eradicates all semblance of reason that you pretended prior to that post. ”
kkkk, My reasoning is more like shotgun blasts… I’m just hoping I hit something. Believe that I’m not trying to be dogmatic here; these are just observations of mine which could be as biased and goofy as any other insanity that pops into my mind.
As for your fixation on the Zidane incident, it is only one incident, and in that case the ref booked him properly… It has little to do though with acting in other incidents and I am convinced that the Korean team could be even more effective with less showmanship. They are that talented. Take that for what it’s worth.
wjk, i assume you mean the second goal since the first goal was a brilliant long range strike by Deco, absent of any free-kick. As for the penalty kick (the 2nd goal) which Ronaldo put it, it looked like more of a case of tangled feet that the ref (incorrectly) called than a case of trying to trick the ref. I’ve never seen a team argue against a ref when they know he called it wrong in their favor…
and for the record, lots of Portuguese players will take dives…Figo is not one of them…his tangle up with Golmohammadi on the latter’s tackle is what brought on the penalty kick.
Soccer needs to clean up its rules.
1) A player pushes away the defender. Is it foul? Yes and No. If the defender pushes back, then it is not a foul. However, if the defender falls, then it is called. Park falls to show that he is pushed. Is it an act? Yes, sometimes, but I think this is needed to clean up the game.
2) A player gets tackled after passing the ball. Is it a foul, Yes and No. If the player takes it and keeps running, then it is not called. However, if he falls, then it is called. I suggest every player fall to call attention to the dirty play. And, these days most players fall. Korean players do too.
The game is getting cleaner. People want to see arts and finese, instead of fire and macho brutality.
I want to see the game cleaned up even more. Soccer is not rugby and it is not American football. Its a gentleman’s game.
Baduk, what’s your evaluation of Scottish League football? I would argue that they are much less finesse, far more physical, yet less dirty than Italians and Latin Americans (and recently the Dutch). How can the players stay physical without being dirty…spitting and punching are obvious, but beyond that….
I’m with these dudes - http://www.world-cup-blog.co.u.....uth-korea/
France played badly and STILL dictated the majority of the game. South Korea DID get a legitimate goal disallowed, and pointing it out isn’t really a hate crime, is it?
Any team in that situation would be annoyed. I would have liked to been outside City Hall if Sk had a goal disallowed…
and for the last time, it’s not ’soccer’, it’s football, people, FOOTBALL!
Come’on there headache, give a few ignorant Americans time to catch up with the flow…we’ll get it eventually but don’t expect us to casually cast off the Dallas Cowgirls and San Francisco 69ers as something other than football…
@headache: And don’t forget to inform ignorant United Statesians that footballers wear kits, not uniforms.
OK! OK!
I admit that Les Bleus were robbed, plain and simple! My apology to angry expats in Korea because we earned a draw over France. Team Korea originally planed to lose to Les Bleus but old champions unable to took it before they get ridiculous. Out of control, Au revoir!
Oh! As you know, we bribed all referees and FIFA is actually controlled by ultra nationalists squad based on Dokdo since 2002.
Having said that, just sit back enjoy the next game. And get ready to record every single moment of game on VCR, PVR, notepad or whatever since all bad calls in favor of team Korea will be ranted again. You will be amazed how well Dokdo squad controls the next match against Switzerland. So if team Korea wins the match, don’t rant bribed referees nor players. They are just controlled. Blame on Dokdo squad. Don’t forget,we, Korean always serve you more and keep you alive on the net, eh!
Just keep in mind that this is “the World Cup” every player on every team does not honestly play with true sportsmanship. Every one of them play to win and advance!
P.S. Why my avatar does not get rating by Gravatar? Are they too busy to watching world cup?
Sonagi says:
Ack… first time I read that, I thought it read that footballers wear kilts. That surely would make for a more interesting game if they did.
Baduk says:
Oh the irony when you take these two statements and lay them side-by-side. First Baduk says we should fight racism, and then goes on in a later post to take issue with France for having so many black players and accuses French people of being slaveowners. Black people can’t be French? Wha?? I went ahead and did a quick count. Out of the 23 players on the French squad, a grand total of 3 were born in other countries. Add 3 more if you consider people from French overseas territories to be ‘not French’. If ignorance truly is bliss, Baduk must be the happiest cat in all the world.
MrChips,
Sorry, I have not seen any of Scottish league games. But, reading your description, I probably will not enjoy it.
I like to see more finesse than brawn in soccer. More team oriented and strategy oriented plays. I want it to become more like valley ball than wrestling. More ball movement than one hero bumping everyone and scoring by himself.
One more way to clean up the game. I saw every player pulling on other player’s shirt. It is getting ridiculous. Everybody does this dirty play automatically, including Korean players. Some country should invent a fabric that can not be pulled. Or, players may have to do body painting instead of wearing shirts. I guess, then, players will pull on the pants.
More refrees per game. And, more calls till players clean up. More yellow cards!
True true true, anyone want to put forth a guess as to the two teams to field a team of entirely one ethnic background? ethnic has such a vague definition but i think it fits here… and frankly, it matters not a an ounce except to counter the supercilious claims of racism in the fielding of other teams…
Well, perhaps there’s a reason why Celtic and Rangers never compete for the Champions League Cup…brawn only gets you so far…nevertheless, their play illustrates the difference between aggressive, physical play and dirty play; it’s not the same.
@ Zonath: “Ack… first time I read that, I thought it read that footballers wear kilts. That surely would make for a more interesting game if they did.”
If footballers wore kilts, I’d become a more avid soccer fan than anybody else on this thread!
Baduk, as a naturalized US citizen, you of all people should understand that national identity comes from one’s heart, not from one’s face or skin. French women of African descent have represented the country in the Miss Universe pagent. Unfair, those frogs playing on the judges’ fetish for dark skin.
Well, actually Hiddink taught Korean players how to play like European players. How to lean on the defenders, how to push right amount, how to protect the ball by blocking opponent…
Koreans did not know how much “physical plays” the referee will allow. Now, they know. They looked at videos of European players and learn to move like them.
They, however, still refrain from some dirty plays done by European players. Like giving elbow, stepping on the shoes, kicking from behind, tackling to injure knee, tripping, pushing…
Many of aggressive plays are close to dirty plays. It is difficult to draw the line. Obviously, the world-class referees draw them closer to mine than yours.
I have heard Beckenbower complained about the high number of foul calls. I disagree. More yellow and red cards should be issued, till players learned to play clean in world cup matches. They can do whatever feel like at home, but when everyone around the world is watching, they’d better clean up.
someone linked to a BBC article on the Korean team. It said:
“Equally, South Korea made it to the last four in the 2002 World Cup, and that was mostly thanks to some bewildering refereeing decisions.”
While it is true that Korea got lots of breaks from the refs.. but hmm.. ‘mostly’?
The only way for this insanity to be put to rest (77 posts including this one and counting plus all the comments in other blogs) once and for all, is for the Korean team to get its butts whipped by the Swiss. Then we’re back to normal bickerings. Of course if there’s another controversy in the Swiss-Kor match later this week and the Koreans lose on controversy… That’ll open up another can of worms..
Baduk has changed the subject away from his insane ranting about Western media. Does this count as a recant?
For the record, I want Korea to advance, every bit as much as I want (the unlikely development of) a U.S. advance.
I don’t particularly want those two sides to meet in later rounds (assuming that’s even a possibility) for reasons illustrated by tribesmen Pawi and Baduk.
Who’s Pawi? Oh, you mean Nulji.
slim,
Western media is for western consumption; it sells to westerners. You seem to believe the “universal authority and fairness” of Reuters. I don’t. As a money-making venture, it will correct its behavior when slammed in the pocketbook. Korea should boycott Reuters.
This article is one-sided and written by someone who probably knows a lot less than me about soccer. So, why should Koreans(including me, a KoreanAmerican) take this undeserved criticism? Do you like this if Korean media do this to you?
This article ignored the first rule of reporting: always include both sides of a story.
For example, it should have included quotations of people who thought differently. That is a balanced reporting and a fair article.
The editor should have caught that. But, he thought Koreans do not read this paper and he could diss Koreans to the max.
Well, once Koreans trash Reuters and kick the company out of Korea, then it will learn. It will correct its behavior.
Of course, the better way to do this is to do a tax audit on Reuters Korea. And, impose heavy tax on Reuters only while reducing tax on other western media companies. Blackball Reuters! And, make it clear to them that Koreans will not stand this sort one-sided treatment any more. Reuters should not increase circulation on the expense of Koreans.
Hit the company with a heavy tax.
I’m pretty sure that there’s still freedom of the press in South Korea (although you wouldn’t know it at times.) Somehow, I don’t think that criticizing the officiating at a handful of sports events really warrants barring anyone from a country. After all, if that were the case, nobody from South Korea would ever get a tourist visa to come to the United States.
You simply and hopelesly don’t get it, Baduk. Korea’s coach was quoted in the story as rejecting the allegations about the “lost” French goal.
And on the broader point, it is indisputable that Korea has been involved in controversial refereeing in 2002 & 06. The story merely states that without taking a position on the calls.
If Reuters were to quote anything YOU said above in this matter, it would only discredit Koreans as a people unable to handle the truth or debate issues reasonably or maturely. Is that the “side” you want represented in such stories?
slim, i guess the refs really love South Korea, then.
I recommend you read this link,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/h.....034522.stm
More egg on Europe, I say. Hear, hear !
People are jealous, because it is clear that South Korea lacks the skills, but somehow pulls off a victory or scores a goal by effort and persistance. Put that down, and discredit it all you like. Koreans will keep celebrating it.
before i post my comment, i’d like to thank everyone for posting so much so that i could get by my shitty morning
baduk,
as much as i love your opinions and enthusiasm, i must agree with plockhoy, that the article was not racist in any manner. the article poses both sides of the story, such as henry’s quote and vieira’s quote. if anything, vieira’s quote (which should matter more because it was his shot) overshadows henrys. really though, the article just states news, what happened, and what both sides said about what happened. end of story, no conspiracy.
mrchips,
i strongly disagree that the korean players are flopping. as baduk said, if you watch replays of the fouls made on korean players (as the biased korean broadcasting play over and over again), you will see that the fouls are well deserved and correctly called. dont hate because korean players are smart and put themselves into good positioning, sometimes tricking opponents to falsely anticipate moves and end up fouling them. there have been articles written about this.
Baduk, as a self-professed Christian, before you mouth off incorrectly about Reuters, I suggest that you again read Matthew 7:3-6.
davelee,
I feel one-sided reporting on this article. Actually, the final authority in all world cup games is FIFA. Why didn’t this reporter ask FIFA officials about these allegations? Advocaat who is not a good speaker of English obviously did not give a good answer when asked about the goal.
The reporter should have gone to the FIFA to ask these “refereeing controversy”. He would have been laughed out of the building. Luckily for him, he didn’t. Instead, he quoted players’ crybaby accusations, without giving equal time for the opposing side to counter. I am talking about his accounts on 2002 Italy game and Portugal games.
I watched both games. The referee was correct. If he were severely out of sync, FIFA would have sack the referee. Yes, these teams would have brought the case to FIFA within 24hrs of the game and FIFA would have made decision on the outcome of the game. They have the authority to overturn the result if they find serious “misjudgement by referee” as this article seems to suggest.
The reporter obviously did not know much about soccer. Or, he pretended not to know about FIFA officials so that he can spread his twisted version of the truths about “Korean success”.
well there davelee, we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. I’m not saying some fouls weren’t warranted, but do you think the media here will replay the flops over and over again? I won’t hold my breath. Neverthless, dives were ahappenin. Not just against France, but also against Togo, Ghana, Norway, Bosnia, and Senegal just to name the last few teams they have played. It’s a coached play. They weren’t this way in the ‘98 Cup.
“korean players are smart and put themselves into good positioning, sometimes tricking opponents to falsely anticipate moves and end up fouling them.” another way to say that is that they turn their butt into the oncoming player and collapse on contact. Contact doesn’t have to mean a foul, you know. Smart, yes because they know they have been getting away with it; tricking opponents? No, tricking the refs. Dirty dirty dirty…
MrChips,
Again, you think these referees are stupid. Well, they know more than you. They have officiated thousands of games and they have seen it all - butts, trippings, pushes, actings, leg sticking, spittings, etc.
They know full well that “contact does not mean a foul”. They only call real fouls.
Yet, you somehow think Koreans were so good that all these referees fell for it. Only you can see that Koreans are faking it.
I think the possibility that those referees are paid by Koreans to give favorable decision would be more plausible. Italians said it. I think you are getting there. And, one-sided article like this supports your theory.
I personally cannot remember the case where FIFA overturned the decision. There may have been one or two, but I cannot be sure.
However, I know of several referees who were censured by FIFA for terrible officiating after the game. The referees at the Spain game and the Italian game were not censured. Not even a hint.
Only Italians were making ridiculous accusations, which FIFA just ignored. About the Spain game, this is the first time I hear about it. Maybe this reporter dig it out from nowhere to show Korean’s “controversial” calls. He should have quoted Italians, but as you know, Italians are being hated by everyone and has no credibility. So, he digged out a new controversy.
And, he left out why Zidane was yellow-carded. He did not want to write that Zidane intentionally kicked a standing player from his back. Talk about dirty play! The referee was quick and daring to call this. He was not a fo