http://chooggoo.com/terious/vod/20020420_cos.wmv This was the Ahn I loved. A shame he didn't go back and forth between forward and offensive midfield positions. Will we see him like this again? Hopefully.
that truly was the Ahn I loved to watch. not only was he a fun player to watch, he was one of the most productive player for our NT at that time (01-02). he was always one of my top 3 favorite Korean players until he started going downhill ever since he joined Shimizu. only if he got that work permit to join Blackburn after the WC, he would have been in a much better shape than now, I believe. when I look at people who are saying that Ahn is overrated, I can understand why they think that way, but at the same time, I don't agree with them because I'm one of the few people who remembers how great this guy was for our NT just few years ago.
I remember the Costa Rica game in particular. Not only did he make beautiful passes all night to Cha and others, his dribbling was absolutely FANTASTIC. He dribbled with power and authority, and utilized his speed a lot more in going by players (Kind of like how Karimi does). If you see him now, you'll see that he's lost a lot of speed on his dribble and now elects to beat people on dribble in a stationary position... Ahn during the Costa Rica and Scotland games is the VINTAGE Ahn that I miss. He's fallen a lot since.
Why is everyone talking like Ahn has decreased in ability? He is still Ahn, the best player there is in Korea.
That was Ahn and that is why a love him. Every ball went through Ahn and almost every ball he delivered became an scoring opportunity. He should be used in that position by Boner, but i guess that will never happend of course.
you're right, he is still the same ol' Ahn we all used to love when he's playing in J-League. but you can't say the same when he plays for our NT.
he's 29 now but he'll turn 30 before the 2006 World Cup. K-League or J-League, eh? it's probably been talked about more than thousand times in the Asia forum, but I'll repeat what everyone said. in terms of money, organization, fan-base, and other infrastructures, J-League is the best in Asia which obviously means better than the K-League. but quality-wise, K-League tops J-League as Korean clubs are way ahead of Japanese clubs in results between K-League clubs and J-League clubs. even the accomplishments of Korean clubs in various Asian club competitions look much better than what Japanese clubs have accomplished.
But then again, who cares about the NT? ... I mean...it's not like we're D-30 away from Germany. I'd rather have a consistent league player than a big-shot one hit wonder NT player (say Lee DG who hasnt scored in the last 20 games).
well, you're right about having plenty of time before the World Cup. but one thing I'm concerned about is that as great and consistent as Ahn was with Yokohama, the guy was always a different person when he played for our NT. he is still a great player, but he really needs to start showing up. as for Lee DG, you're right about him struggling to score for Pohang recently but he is one of the top 5 in assists ranking which says a lot to people who say that Lee DG can't do anything besides shooting. and I'm sure you were just exaggerating about him not being able to score in the last 20 games, because he was absolutely fantastic for Pohang during the Hauzen Cup. also, one thing about Lee Dong-gook is that he is always a consistent player for our NT.
well, an article I've read today said that a couple of J-League clubs (Urawa, Kobe) are considering making offers to Ahn, with a contract worth about $2 million a year (which is the top salary level in J-League).
well, but this article (http://news.naver.com/sports/index....mode=view&office_id=117&article_id=0000015347) says that there is still a bigger chance of Ahn going to Europe than staying in Japan. the article said that Livorno is out of option now, but there are more teams who are negotiating with his agent other than the teams that have been publicly announced. is it true? I have no clue.
at this stage in his career, it's not a bad idea. he's only got about 4-8 years left in his playing career. might as well go where money is best. we all might want to see him excercise some pride and go to europe. if european money is better, then he has no reason not to go. but, if japanese money is better, it's a different story. we're not him. and he has other considerations to think of...i.e. family. i would love to see him back in europe, but, i'd understand if he went for the money.
I got this from Ahn's official website (www.terious.com) I'm too lazy to translate the whole article but it basically says that J-League teams such as Urawa Reds, Vissel Kobe, Kashiwa Reysol, and a 'Tokyo-based team' are interested in Ahn. the article says that these teams are offering HUGE contracts (biggest in J-League) to Ahn. BUTT... the article quotes Ahn saying that he has no intention to stay in J-League. it says that the reason why Ahn's way to Europe is being delayed is because there are more teams interested in Ahn but the deal will be completed soon.
I didnt see the lines written under "BUT" so i nearly threw the computer out of the window. Sounds good this ********