A taste of Korea

I caught the first half of the top-of-the-table K-League clash between FC Seoul and Seongnam Ilwha Chunma at Seoul World Cup stadium yesterday afternoon.

A pleasant afternoon in the South Korean capital saw 24,000 fans turn out to see if FC Seoul could hold on to their lead at the top of the K-League standings. They managed to do so thanks to a late volley from Lee Sang-hyub, although by then I was in a taxi on the way to the airport.

From what I saw of the match it was a cagey performance from both teams, with the visitors looking somewhat sharper in the first half despite missing star striker Mota through suspension. Former Middlesbrough man Lee Dong-guk was on display for Seongnam, while for the Şenol Güneş-coached FC Seoul the star was clearly Montenegrin international Dejan Damjanovic, who looked the most likely source of a goal in what was a somewhat foul-ridden first half. 

FC Seoul are, by all accounts, a fairly unpopular team in Korean football, due largely to their relocation from satellite city Anyang back to the capital in 2004, to take up residence in the 66,000 capacity Seoul World Cup Stadium.

K-League officials must regret forcing teams to originally move away from the capital in 1996, having claimed at the time that Seoul-based clubs had an unfair advantage in terms of drawing support compared to regional teams. At the time co-hosting a World Cup probably seemed like an improbable pipe-dream, but with the World Cup Stadium sitting vacant in the capital, it was back to Seoul in 2004 - name change and all - where the LG-backed FC Seoul were forced to try and rebuild their supporter base once again.

Even that pales into insignificance compared to the background of Seongnam, who may be the most successful side in K-League history, but who are perhaps best known for being backed by controversial religious leader Sun Myung Moon. That may or may not explain the fact that only around 25 away fans turned out for what was, in reality, a marquee fixture.

Seoul World Cup Stadium was certainly an impressive venue - Manchester United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson admitted as much when he brought his team there for an international friendly in 2007. The standard metallic grey seats didn't do much for the imagination, but the sightlines were superb and I struggle to recall as compact a stadium featuring as vast a capacity as Seoul's premier football venue.

All in all an interesting excursion then, and I'll certainly be heading back to Seoul - a city full of diverting sights, warm and friendly people and a football club looking to rebuild itself as one of South Korea's best.