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Journalism of Courage
Four years ago Guus Hiddink masterminded a 5-0 destruction of South Korea by a star-studded Dutch team at the Word Cup in France.
On Saturday, the self-effacing Dutchman leads South Korea into their first quarter-final against Spain, underscoring the extraordinary turn around he has engineered in just 18 months. 8220;We are normal, humble, hard-working people,8221; Hiddink said after the hosts beat Italy 2-1 on Tuesday, a feat even he described before the match as 8220;almost the impossible8221;.
The perception of what is possible for South Korea has changed compltely since Hiddink8217;s focus on fitness produced a side that attacks for a full 90 minutes of fast, physical soccer.
Ahn Jung-hwan was a player who 8220;could not play 20 minutes of football at a high level8221; in Hiddink8217;s words before the striker improved his conditioning and won a start against Portugal in the group stage. Ahn, slight but skilful, played for 117 minutes before heading home the golden goal that sent the Italians packing.
8220;I was tough on him 8230;now he has strong stamina,8221; the coach said. Hiddink has described the South Korea attack as 8220;controlled, not blind attack8221; in a phrase that neatly sums up the transition the side has made.
He waited until late in the Italy match before throwing on five forwards as the defensive Europeans tried to safeguard a 1-0 lead and he was rewarded for his bravery with an 88th-minute equaliser. 8220;I would prefer to lose 2-0 than not try to go for the draw,8221; he said, praising his players for the control and patience they showed ahead of their last-minute goal.
Hiddink, 55, had spells with PSV Eindhoven 8212; with whom he won the European Cup in 1988 8212; Fenerbahce and Valencia before taking over the Dutch side in 1995. He took them to the semi-finals and then coached Real Madrid and Real Betis.
He took over the Korean side in 2000 and spent the first year fending off criticism of his choice of tough teams for friendlies as the dispirited South Koreans showed woeful finishing and took their lumps, trounced 5-0 twice by France and the Czech Republic.
Reuters
