FC Seoul v Manchester United

Who needs Ronaldo when you got a mug like this !

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Nine Euros: Korean Fans Pay The Price To Watch Manchester United Train

The European powerhouse are in the middle of their Asian tour...
24 Jul 2009 01:10:59

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South Korean Fans, Manchester United

Manchester United arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for the third match of their 2009 Asian tour.

Over seven thousand fans attended Manchester United;s training session at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday morning.

The session may have been open to the general public but it was far from free.

For those with tickets to Friday evening’s exhibition match with K-League club FC Seoul, admission cost around six euros.

Those without tickets had to pay around nine euros which made watching Manchester United train for an hour more expensive than gaining admission to the average league match in South Korea.

According to the game’s organizers Mast Entertainment, fans were charged in order to prevent too many attending.

“In 2007 (the last time the English champions visited Seoul) the people who attended were all connected to sponsors.,” Mast spokesperson Liz Ha told Goal.com.

“This time we wanted to open it up to everybody. If it was free then we thought that there would be too many to control.”


The fact they pocketed 60,000 euros had nothing to do with it.
 
I've missed every pre-season game so far and will be missing this one too :(
 
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Soccer fans yesterday hail Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung (third from the left), who entered Seoul World Cup Stadium for official training. United will play FC Seoul in an exhibition game at 8 p.m. tonight.

I think he means ...on the right :lol:
 
Football: United aim to maintain winning pre-season form

SEOUL: Manchester United will aim to make it three wins out of three on their Asian tour when they play FC Seoul today, in a visit designed to capitalise on the club’s popularity in South Korea.
The English champions are in South Korea for the second time in three years, and in their fifth visit to the continent this decade.
The hotel bombings in Jakarta forced the club to cancel their match in Indonesia.
Instead, the Premier League giants played two matches in Malaysia, winning 3-2 and then 2-0.
Over seven thousand fans watched United train at Seoul World Cup Stadium yesterday.
The presence of local star Park Ji-sung means that United are well-followed in South Korea with an estimated six million fans.
“We are delighted to be here and recognise that the fan base in South Korea is something exceptional,” coach Alex Ferguson said.
“We had two games in Malaysia and I feel that the team is progressing the right way. The game with Seoul, with the progress the team is making, this is an ideal game for us.”
Ferguson said the popularity of Ji-sung was reward for his progress to the top levels of the European game and the Korean national side.
“When a local lad like Ji-sung leaves his country to play for Manchester United and excels at the highest level then it is obvious he will receive adulation at home,” Ferguson said.
“He has been the star of the national team for a while too. This is a football nation and when they see Ji-sung doing well and then when he comes back, the reaction is understandable.”
The Scot said the standard of the current squad and the one that beat Seoul 4-0 in 2007 was similar, although the Red Devils have lost star winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
“The big difference is the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo,” Ferguson said.
“The fans will miss him. He is a fantastic player.”
The visit of the English champions led to Seoul rearranging a K-League fixture with Gwangju Sangmu, initially scheduled for July 26.
Moving that game to May 30 led to many of FC Seoul’s fans boycotting two home matches in early May.
During Seoul’s last home match with Incheon United on July 12, a stadium announcement regarding the Manchester United visit was drowned out by jeers.
Despite some ill feeling, the game is a 64,000 sellout according to organisers.
However, local media reports there are still over 10,000 available. — AP


http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/7/24/sports/4379847&sec=sports
 
Goal.com Special: Manchester United In South Korea

Manchester United and Goal.com are in Seoul...

24 Jul 2009 01:47:06


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Ji-sung Park and Patrice Evra, Manchester United
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Senol Gunes is one of the most talkative people in football. Once he starts he can’t seem to stop but the FC Seoul coach couldn’t get a word in during Thursday’s press conference ahead of the team’s exhibition match against Manchester United.

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It was all about the English team. Dozens of reporters squeezed into the swanky Shilla Hotel near downtown Seoul and they weren’t interested in talking to the man who guided Turkey to third place at the 2002 World Cup – Gunes holds court in the Korean capital on a regular basis – and they certainly weren’t interested in talking to the less loquacious captain Kim Chi-gon.

Sir Alex Ferguson was the target of the questions ahead of United’s third match of their 2009 Asian tour.

Many of which were inevitably about a certain player called Park Ji-sung and the reception the club has received in the Land of the Morning Calm.

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Alex Ferguson and club chief David Gill are old hands at this kind of thing. The gathered reporters got what they wanted: an assurance that Park would be offered a contract extension, some words about how good a player he is and how great the Korean fans are.

Ferguson was relaxed and in good form. The Scot even cracked a couple of jokes. The first of which was in relation to the adulation that Park receives in Korea.

"I’m sure he’ll get a few minutes and that will be a big lift to fans here in Korea. Two years ago he was injured and didn’t play but he still got man of the match!"
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His second came in answer to a question on what has kept him going at the top for so long.

“It’s not press conferences, that’s for sure.”

Some was lost in translation. Ferguson’s Glaswegian brogue is tough to understand even for professionals. Back in 2007 in Seoul, the translator was swapped mid-conference after admitting that she wasn’t sure what the manager was saying.

United spent the morning training at Seoul World Cup Stadium watched by 7,500 fans who had to pay for the privilege.

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Then some of the players went by river to south Seoul to play a charity match against a boys team headed by South Korean pop star Rain.

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Rain was forecast for Friday evening as Korea’s rainy season continues but whatever the weather, United’s visit to Asia is big news.



Funny bit there about the translator.
 
7 more hours. I'm not usually all happy happy joyjoy at work but i am today. anyone else going? am i the special one? i'm about to bust nut
 
Should be a good competitive match. Which is exactly what the doctor ordered. I'm actually excited about the new season now. Even if we go into it with no more additions, we still have a bloody brilliant squad.

BTW is there a national holiday because Park is playing ?
 
Goal.com Special: Manchester United In South Korea


Ferguson was relaxed and in good form. The Scot even cracked a couple of jokes. The first of which was in relation to the adulation that Park receives in Korea.

"I’m sure he’ll get a few minutes and that will be a big lift to fans here in Korea. Two years ago he was injured and didn’t play but he still got man of the match!" :lol:
...........................


His second came in answer to a question on what has kept him going at the top for so long.

“It’s not press conferences, that’s for sure.” :lol:
:lol:
 
Then some of the players went by river to south Seoul to play a charity match against a boys team headed by South Korean pop star Rain.

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Rain was forecast for Friday evening as Korea’s rainy season continues but whatever the weather, United’s visit to Asia is big news.

Is this some kind of crazy Korean joke?
 
Surprised at the amount of United fans I've bumped into out and about that are actually watching all of our pre season games - I thought I was the only one.

i've been following preseason for three years straight now. i was hoping to have a look at valencia and obertan, but i guess i'll have to wait for next week, hopefully.
 
i've been following preseason for three years straight now. i was hoping to have a look at valencia and obertan, but i guess i'll have to wait for next week, hopefully.

Obertan is out injured for a minimum of three months mate.
 
Will our away kit be presented today?

Seoul use black and red kit (Milanish) when they play at home.
 
Surprised at the amount of United fans I've bumped into out and about that are actually watching all of our pre season games - I thought I was the only one.
We're all desperate for football in general and United matches in particular. The summer break has been too long for me. After all I'm very excited to see how the team copes with the loss of Ronnie.
Can't wait for tonight's game as well.
 
----------O Shea----------

O shea---O Shea--O Shea--Oshea

O Shea - O Shea - O Shea - Park

-----O Shea ---- O Shea------
 
Macheda Rooney up front. Gary Neville has gone back home. Tweaked his groin, should be ready in 10 days.