Turkey will host Korea Rebuplic in a friendly match between two great friends and rivals at the Trabzon’s Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium today.
The Koreans and Turks have faced each other for 6 times with the famous encounter at the 2002 World Cup Third Placing Playoff being the best.
The Turks also defeated the Koreans 7-0 in the 1954 World Cup and besides beating the Koreans 3-2 in 2002, they also set a new record when Hakan Şükür scored after just 10.8 seconds.
The best part was that Guus Hiddink was in charge of Korea when they faced Turkey in 2002 and it will be an emotional night as his current Turkey team take on his former employers, the Korea Republic.
“We want to win [today],” Hiddink said. “The Koreans have won most of their recent matches and we have lost. And even though it is a friendly, we must rediscover our winning ways,” he emphasized.
Korea will be the better prepared side, having played in the Asian Cup in January. Over there in Doha, they lost to Japan 3-0 on penalties after the score was tied at 2-2.
So the Koreans will be in a better shape but South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae refused to brag about his side's chances.
“Turkey is now being coached by Guus Hiddink, who was very successful while at the South Korean helm,” he said.
“Two friendly teams will be playing and I am sure it’s going to be a beautiful game. Friendship will definitely prevail and the ties between the two countries will get stronger,” he added.
While the game would be a beautiful spectacle for all fans to enjoy, the results could even determine Guus Hiddink's future. He took charge in August but several bad results have already placed him under pressure.
The Turks also defeated the Koreans 7-0 in the 1954 World Cup and besides beating the Koreans 3-2 in 2002, they also set a new record when Hakan Şükür scored after just 10.8 seconds.
The best part was that Guus Hiddink was in charge of Korea when they faced Turkey in 2002 and it will be an emotional night as his current Turkey team take on his former employers, the Korea Republic.
“We want to win [today],” Hiddink said. “The Koreans have won most of their recent matches and we have lost. And even though it is a friendly, we must rediscover our winning ways,” he emphasized.
Korea will be the better prepared side, having played in the Asian Cup in January. Over there in Doha, they lost to Japan 3-0 on penalties after the score was tied at 2-2.
So the Koreans will be in a better shape but South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae refused to brag about his side's chances.
“Turkey is now being coached by Guus Hiddink, who was very successful while at the South Korean helm,” he said.
“Two friendly teams will be playing and I am sure it’s going to be a beautiful game. Friendship will definitely prevail and the ties between the two countries will get stronger,” he added.
While the game would be a beautiful spectacle for all fans to enjoy, the results could even determine Guus Hiddink's future. He took charge in August but several bad results have already placed him under pressure.
