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Asian Debate: How Will Ahn Jung-Hwan Be Remembered?
The latest destination for the well-travelled Ahn Jung-hwan is China. John Duerden wonders whether the striker can end a colorful career on a high note.
Apr 13, 2009 10:35:41 PM
The
'Lord of the Ring' has gone to the Middle Kingdom, after a saga that dragged on for
as long as JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece but was far less gripping.
Over the past few months, Ahn Jung-hwan’s career has been the subject of many a newspaper column in East Asia.
After becoming a free agent in December 2008, it started to look as if the player, who became famous worldwide for eliminating Italy from the 2002 World Cup, was going nowhere.
If Ahn Jung-hwan was Frodo Baggins, he would have started his quest well and made it to Rivendell only to stay there forever, boring dinner companions with talk of his future plans and past glories.
That is a little harsh, but the player may look back on his career and wonder whether he could have achieved more if he had put his mind to it.
As one of the stars of the 2002 World Cup, it was expected that his career would really take off after scoring one of the most glittering golden goals. But it never quite happened. He started the tournament as a Serie A player but ended it (after a little time) in the J-League. Usually, these things happen the other way round.
At 33, the Korean striker doesn’t have many decisions left to make as far as his playing career is concerned.
After leaving Perugia in 2002 (he was famously fired by the Italian side after his golden goal at the World Cup), Ahn had spells with Shimizu S-Pulse and Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, then moved to Metz of France in the summer of 2005, Duisberg of Germany in January 2006, and then returned back to Korea early in 2007.
In between all that, the big story was, apart from scoring the winning goal against Togo in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup, his non-attendance of a trial with English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. The player maintains that he got no such offer.
Whatever the truth, Ahn returned to Korea just in time for the 2007 season with Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Despite a good start, the forward failed to settle in the team and moved to Busan a year later. Although he played more of a part on the south coast and received an offer of an improved contract, he decided to leave.
Ever since the end of last season, ‘sources close to Ahn’ have been telling reporters which US clubs were in contact with the player, how many DVDs had been sent, and when it was all going to go down.
He almost went down under to Australia and may still do so when his Dalian deal ends - the chance for his children to study English appeals - but the United States was his first choice.
“It wasn’t easy to go to America,” he told reporters. “After that fell through, I seriously thought about retiring but now I have the opportunity and need to get ready. I may not be able to reach the heights of my peak but I will try my hardest.”
Ahn’s peaks have always come in Asia – as did the 2002 World Cup. He was the star of Busan’s team in the late 1990s, finding the target 44 times in 87 matches. Seventy-two games yielded 30 goals in Japan. As well as scoring one of the most famous goals in the continent's football history, Ahn has done enough to secure a place in Asian annals.
One senses that this isn't enough for a player who has always sought that big move to the big leagues. Unfortunately, Europe was a less happy hunting ground.
Out west he will be probably be remembered as a player who came to prominence at two World Cups but struggled in league football. He shouldn't be too disappointed with that - he will at least be remembered.
There is still a chance, however, for the player to show what he can do. Ahn and his family are in China’s north-east with Dalian Shide - perhaps like Ahn, formerly prominent before falling on hard times of late.
“I am getting older and rather than taking it easy, I would like to try the challenge of another league,” Ahn said. “I had no interest in the Chinese League but I know Dalian. I got lots of information about Dalian from Jeon Woo-keun, who joined the club from Busan this season. I heard that the environment and atmosphere in the team is good.”
Jeon has impressed the Chinese with his attitude off the pitch and his skills on it, something Ahn hasn’t managed to do as yet.
As befitting his image in Asia, the Chinese media and fans were very positive about the new addition to the local league. Until now though, Ahn’s cool attitude to the press in the Middle Kingdom hasn’t yet won him any new fans – French, Italian, German and even Korean reporters will understand.
If he doesn’t start strutting his stuff once he crosses the white line then he may find himself benched as he did last weekend when Dalian won away for the first time in 23 attempts. It is not the fashion in which any player would want to wind down their career.
Ahn's skill has never been in doubt, even in the mind of one of the people he hurt the most: Italy's 2002 World Cup coach, Giovanni Trapattoni.
"He is a technician... I've seen a number of fantastic players like Ahn Jung-hwan," said Trapattoni. "They are greatly skilled but have difficulty in conforming to the simple football routines that are necessary in a team... I wonder if there is any coach who can use him properly."
Perhaps we will never know.
John Duerden
Asia Editor
john.duerden@goal.com
Over the past few months, Ahn Jung-hwan’s career has been the subject of many a newspaper column in East Asia.
After becoming a free agent in December 2008, it started to look as if the player, who became famous worldwide for eliminating Italy from the 2002 World Cup, was going nowhere.
If Ahn Jung-hwan was Frodo Baggins, he would have started his quest well and made it to Rivendell only to stay there forever, boring dinner companions with talk of his future plans and past glories.
That is a little harsh, but the player may look back on his career and wonder whether he could have achieved more if he had put his mind to it.
As one of the stars of the 2002 World Cup, it was expected that his career would really take off after scoring one of the most glittering golden goals. But it never quite happened. He started the tournament as a Serie A player but ended it (after a little time) in the J-League. Usually, these things happen the other way round.
At 33, the Korean striker doesn’t have many decisions left to make as far as his playing career is concerned.
After leaving Perugia in 2002 (he was famously fired by the Italian side after his golden goal at the World Cup), Ahn had spells with Shimizu S-Pulse and Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, then moved to Metz of France in the summer of 2005, Duisberg of Germany in January 2006, and then returned back to Korea early in 2007.
In between all that, the big story was, apart from scoring the winning goal against Togo in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup, his non-attendance of a trial with English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. The player maintains that he got no such offer.
Whatever the truth, Ahn returned to Korea just in time for the 2007 season with Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Despite a good start, the forward failed to settle in the team and moved to Busan a year later. Although he played more of a part on the south coast and received an offer of an improved contract, he decided to leave.
Ever since the end of last season, ‘sources close to Ahn’ have been telling reporters which US clubs were in contact with the player, how many DVDs had been sent, and when it was all going to go down.
He almost went down under to Australia and may still do so when his Dalian deal ends - the chance for his children to study English appeals - but the United States was his first choice.
“It wasn’t easy to go to America,” he told reporters. “After that fell through, I seriously thought about retiring but now I have the opportunity and need to get ready. I may not be able to reach the heights of my peak but I will try my hardest.”
Ahn’s peaks have always come in Asia – as did the 2002 World Cup. He was the star of Busan’s team in the late 1990s, finding the target 44 times in 87 matches. Seventy-two games yielded 30 goals in Japan. As well as scoring one of the most famous goals in the continent's football history, Ahn has done enough to secure a place in Asian annals.
One senses that this isn't enough for a player who has always sought that big move to the big leagues. Unfortunately, Europe was a less happy hunting ground.
Out west he will be probably be remembered as a player who came to prominence at two World Cups but struggled in league football. He shouldn't be too disappointed with that - he will at least be remembered.
There is still a chance, however, for the player to show what he can do. Ahn and his family are in China’s north-east with Dalian Shide - perhaps like Ahn, formerly prominent before falling on hard times of late.
“I am getting older and rather than taking it easy, I would like to try the challenge of another league,” Ahn said. “I had no interest in the Chinese League but I know Dalian. I got lots of information about Dalian from Jeon Woo-keun, who joined the club from Busan this season. I heard that the environment and atmosphere in the team is good.”
Jeon has impressed the Chinese with his attitude off the pitch and his skills on it, something Ahn hasn’t managed to do as yet.
As befitting his image in Asia, the Chinese media and fans were very positive about the new addition to the local league. Until now though, Ahn’s cool attitude to the press in the Middle Kingdom hasn’t yet won him any new fans – French, Italian, German and even Korean reporters will understand.
If he doesn’t start strutting his stuff once he crosses the white line then he may find himself benched as he did last weekend when Dalian won away for the first time in 23 attempts. It is not the fashion in which any player would want to wind down their career.
Ahn's skill has never been in doubt, even in the mind of one of the people he hurt the most: Italy's 2002 World Cup coach, Giovanni Trapattoni.
"He is a technician... I've seen a number of fantastic players like Ahn Jung-hwan," said Trapattoni. "They are greatly skilled but have difficulty in conforming to the simple football routines that are necessary in a team... I wonder if there is any coach who can use him properly."
Perhaps we will never know.
John Duerden
Asia Editor
john.duerden@goal.com
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