Country: South Korea
Nicknames: Taegeuk Jeonsa (Taegeuk Warriors), Tigers of Asia
Rankings: 47 (FIFA), 38 (SPI)
Elite Players: NA
Key Players: Park Ji-Sung, Park Chu-Young, Lee Kuen-Ho, Lee Chung-Yong
History: Semifinals 2002 (cohost), Qualified Every Year Since 1986
Odds to Win: 200-1

Down with Buddha!
Down with handsome, well-fed Buddha!
What’s he doing up there with that oh so casually
elegant wispy beard?
Next, break down that painted whore of a crossbeam!
A dragon’s head? What use is that, a dragon’s head?
Tear down that temple, drive out the monks,
turn it all into dust and maggots!
Phaw! – Ko Un

In the United States, we are debating the literal truth of a 2,000 year old religious text, whether we should provide healthcare to the great unwashed and whether we should allow police to harass and intimidate people of a certain ethnicity, issues the rest of the Western world solved decades ago. The South Koreans have androids, high-speed trains and fiber-optic internet. Don’t sleep on them.

Form: South Korea rolled through a tough Asian qualifying group – including 2006 qualifiers Saudi Arabia and Iran and rivals North Korea – unbeaten, allowing just seven goals in 14 matches. They also have first-rate friendly wins recently against Paraguay, Australia and the Ivory Coast. South Korea was blown out 4-2 by Zambia and 3-0 by China in the East Asian Championships, but those weren’t full-strength teams.

Development: Guus Hiddink left more than a bizarre personality cult, when he left South Korea after taking them to the World Cup semifinals. The K-League has become stronger. Korean teams have won four Asian Champions Leagues this decade. Five different teams have made the final. The best Korean players are moving to Europe as well. Park Ji-Sung and Lee Young-Pyo were the forbearers, when Hiddink brought them to PSV Eindhoven in 2003. Now, a new generation of Koreans are earning attention.

Youngblood: The 21-year-old midfield duo of Lee Chung-Yong and Ki Sung-Yong, known to FC Seoul as the “Double Dragon” has relocated to the British Isles. Lee has added some class to brutish Bolton, with five goals and five assists in all competitions, incredible considering the direct jump from the K-League to the Premier League. Ki has made nine appearances for Celtic, since moving in the January transfer window. FC Seoul also sent the speedy Park Chu-Young to AS Monaco in 2008. The 24-year-old has eight goals and three assists in 24 starts.

Style: South Korea play pretty soccer. They are organized and cohesive. They are great passers, with speed, creativity and technical ability. They are generally the best conditioned team as well, though that will be less important in the South African winter. The Koreans may struggle with goal-scoring, as they don’t have a reliable finisher up front. They are not a physical side as well, so a more robust Nigeria team could also trouble them.  They also may have trouble in the air, with short center-backs and a sub-six foot goalkeeper.

Conclusion: I think South Korea is a strong candidate to advance. They have experience and some talented youngsters. They are coming off two solid World Cup performances. The only team in 2006 to earn four points and not advance to the knockout stages, South Korea should take the game to teams, which may trouble Nigeria and Greece. If you were to piss away your money on a 200-1 bet, this might be the one you would choose.

Interesting Fact: South Korean fans are equipped with timers, due to a unique national belief in “fan death,” deaths caused by leaving electric fans or air-conditioners on all-night in an enclosed room.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile