Asia Angle: How Park Jong-Woo ended up at Al Jazira

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  • Al Jazira's new signing Park Jong-Woo is sure to be a welcome addition in the capital.

    Al Jazira’s new signing Park Jong-Woo will forever have a place in the hearts of South Koreans, whatever happens in the rest of his career. The tough-tackling midfielder is sure to be a welcome addition to the ranks of the Abu Dhabi club. He always gives the proverbial maximum percentage on the pitch. And off it too, he has a habit of making headlines.

    He arrives in West Asia from China’s Guangzhou R&F, bringing his brand of hard-running, hard challenges and improving ability to read the game and use the ball with increasing incisiveness. Park has always been something of a fighter on the pitch but has matured in recent years after gaining a reputation as something of a hothead. This was both deserved and not.

    At the start of the 2014 season, the 26-year-old had become one of the growing number of Koreans in China, signed by Sven Goran-Eriksson at Guangzhou R&F and becoming a valued member of the ambitious club. Under the Swede, Park enjoyed plenty of playing time and started to take more responsibility on the pitch, displaying the leadership qualities that his early coaches felt he had.

    According to those close to the player, the departure of the Swedish coach to Shanghai SIPG caused him to look to his own future. Park enjoyed his time under the former England boss and with Eriksson gone, was open to suggestions of a move. Then Al Jazira, looking for another South Korean defensive midfielder after Shin Hyung-Min returned to Korea in 2014, came calling. The move was an attractive one for both parties. With Park, Al Jazira should win more of the ball and use it a little better too.

    He has plenty of experience to bring to the pitch despite his relatively young age. Park was a member of South Korea’s 2012 Olympic team. As many people in Asia know, the Olympics have a special place in the heart of footballers from the Land of the Morning Calm as, like all athletes in their delegation, any medal means military exemption. Get a bronze and then you are spared your 21-month tour of duty at home. It’s a bigger deal for South Korean men – women don’t have to serve – than perhaps any other team.

    Not only was it seen as part of preparation for, what was hoped to be, the 2014 World Cup but it was a chance for the country’s brightest young footballers and three overage players, carefully selected, to win a medal. It would be unfair to say this is all they care about. There is plenty of glory in Olympic success but the bonus is a big one.

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    Korea got to the semi-finals, beating Switzerland and Great Britain along the way. They also drew with eventual champions Mexico and on the balance of play, probably should have won. Dreams of gold ended with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil at Old Trafford. The scoreline didn’t tell the full story. Korea started well and should have had two penalties, one when it was goalless and one when it was just 1-0 in favour of the South Americans. As it was, it was a good performance.

    Third and fourth place play-offs are usually a damp squib in major tournaments but not this. Not only was it a chance of a medal and military exemption, it came against old rivals Japan. In front of 60,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Park Chu-Young and Koo J-Cheol got the goals in a deserved 2-0 win – meaning there was enough leeway for coach Hong Myung-Bo to introduce Kim Kee-Hee for the last minute as players had to appear on the pitch to earn military exemption.

    Park Jong-Woo faces two challenges: to impress and settle at Al Jazira and to get back in the South Korean team

    After the final whistle, there were wild celebrations. Either Park took, or was given, a placard from a fan in the crowd. It read “Dokdo is our land.” Dokdo is the Korean name for a group of islands between the two East Asian nations that are claimed by both South Korean and Japan, but administered by Seoul. It is a long-running dispute and can be emotive.

    It can be explained as something in the heat of the moment but it was always going to cause problems, instantly be seen as a political act and punished by the IOC. Park was barred from receiving his medal the next day and almost did not get it at all. Hailed by many in his homeland (where his nickname is still ‘Dokdo Man’) as a hero and not exactly popular in Japan, it put Park in the international headlines.

    He kept his head down, though, and continued to shine in the K-League for Busan I’Park, as well as making his debut for the senior South Korea team. Park went to the 2014 World Cup but didn’t get on to the pitch – perhaps fortunately so given the results that the team posted in Brazil. Current coach Uli Stielike declined to take Park to the Asian Cup in January.

    He faces two challenges now then: to impress and settle at Al Jazira and to get back in the South Korean team. Fortunately, Park Jong-Woo has never shirked a challenge.

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