Park Ji-sung of Manchester United won two accolades from the U.K. Guardian on Monday. Park was named “man of the match” and responsible for the “best moment” on the pitch in his team’s playoff against Tottenham Hotspur. For Korean fans, however, the match became bittersweet when 36 minutes into the first half, Park Ji-sung snatched the ball from Lee Young-pyo at the center of the penalty area. Rooney then converted Park’s pass into a goal. “Lee Young-Pyo, a right-footed left-back, could barely raise an apologetic arm after Park Ji-sung took the ball off him inside Tottenham's own penalty area to supply Rooney for the softest of his 19 goals this season. Park, the game's outstanding performer, made it a torrid afternoon for his South Korean international team-mate.” The paper hailed Park’s efforts saying, “His indefatigable running and desire to outwit his international team-mate Lee Young-pyo were a constant source of worry to the Tottenham defense.” Another Park moment became the “best moment” of the match. The Guardian hailed “Park's tenacity in dispossessing Lee inside the penalty area for Rooney's second -- and ultimately decisive -- goal.” The satellite channel Sky Sports reported Park overflowed with passion, and gave him seven points for the game, putting him second behind Rooney’s eight. Meanwhile, an insider with Park’s management firm FS Corporation said the athlete felt “awkward” about discussing the assist.
The way I look at it, if Park didn't get the assist or goal or if Lee shut down Park completely... the comments would have been the other way around. "Park shutdown by his international team-mate. Can Park stand the pressure of playing against Korean players?" This was a lose-lose situation where one side will look good and one will look bad either way. The main point of this should be that both players got some SERIOUS experience playing in the EPL. Let's support both players so that they will both have learned from the experience and be better at the WC and the EPL in the future. In the NHL, Swedes fight against Swedes. Fins fight against Fins. Russians fight against Russians. They do not pull any punches when they play against their national team members. Park did the right thing. He played it like any normal game and didn't take it easy. Made an amazing play. Let's just leave it at that. We'll see what will happen at the next United/Spurs game.
Well put. Let's get over it and move on. Lee v Park was a good thing on national and individual development fronts...
One further observation: Spurs fans (on this website) showed class in pointing out/recognizing LYP's mistake but continuing to back him. I like Arsenal's freeflowing style of play, but I have to say I am pulling for Spurs making CL in light of their classy display.
Well, it was a good game, but as a korean national team fan, I hope Lee YP learned a lesson, because he tends to drag that ball a lot in the back. There has been about a hand full of times in national team games where, he dragged the ball too much in the back and it was a close call, when he could have just clear the ball. and his little move that he does everything he's at the corner of the box...it's fun to watch, but it never goes anywhere. the forwards have to keep going back and forth trying to time it right while he's dancing away, and by the time he's done dancing, all the defenders are back. He needs to just work on his crossing. a lot of our goals in 2002 started with his crosses, not his little dance moves. And to be honest, i have yet to see one of those moves lead to a goal. anyway, he's a great player, i think he's actually better than JI Sung (position wise), i'm sure they both will perform well