Last hurrah for Korean heroes

The World Cup is not yet over, but already South Korea’s history-making side is breaking up.

Striker Hwang Sun-hong, whose goal against Poland in Busan began Korea’s remarkable march to the semi-finals, has confirmed he will be retiring after the tournament.

Today’s third/fourth play-off match against Turkey will be Hwang’s 103rd and last cap for his country during a 14-year international career.

If any player deserved to be part of Korea’s success it was the 33-year-old who had suffered manfully through the lean times before Guus Hiddink arrived to perform his footballing miracle.

Hwang played at Italia 90 and USA 94, where he scored in Korea’s 3-2 defeat by Germany, before a knee injury prior to France 98 ruled him out of that tournament.

That never-to-be-forgotten volley past Jerzy Dudek, which has already been shown hundreds of times on Korea television, was his 50th international goal and he was his country’s golden boy long before Perugia had ever heard of Ahn Jung-hwan.

Unfortunately for Korea, Hwang is not the only person saying farewell today in the picturesque Daegu World Cup stadium as the match is Hiddink’s last in charge.

Hiddink’s 18-month contract ends tomorrow and the Dutchman, who lost to Croatia 2-1 with Holland in the third/fourth play-off at France 98, is set to return to a coaching job with Europe, with PSV Eindhoven at the head of the queue of suitors.

The challenge now for Korea will be to build on the marvellous success that Hiddink and Hwang have helped bring about.