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Showing posts with the label Gyeongnam FC

Which player has impressed me the most in the Premier League this season

  My stand out player to date in my view has been James Rodriguez of Everton FC.  He has taken to the Premier League "like a duck to water". The 29-year-old Columbia attacking midfielder was signed in the offseason from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a fee believed to be around 20 million pounds.  He signed on a two-year contract for the Toffees. In the opening four games of the season James has scored three goals and assisted two and in general, has been at the hub of everything that Everton have done well in the attacking third of the pitch.  A huge factor getting James to the Premier League was the fact that his old manager who he played under at Real Madrid is the current Everton gaffer.  Italian Carlo Ancelotti is the man in question that attracted the flamboyant winger to the Premier League.  They had a very good relationship at Real Madrid and they wanted to rekindle that at Everton. James has formed a frightening partnership with Everton duo Rich...

Watching a live game of football during the COVID 19 pandemic

On the 16th of August my two sons Jacob and Jack and I  attended a home game between Gyeongnam FC and Chungnam Asan in the Korean Professional football league.  The number of COVID 19 cases was in double digits so the league was allowing 30 percent of the stadiums'  capacity to be allocated by supporters. Firstly, you couldn't buy tickets on the day, you had to purchase the tickets online through a specific website.  Once you had bought the tickets, the website will send you a link to be scanned by Gyeongnam ticket officers on the day of the game.  The tickets we selected had to be spread out evenly, with each person sitting three seats apart from one another, due to social distancing measures.  My sons and I decided on sitting in a triangle shape.  To the day itself of the game.  There were strict measures of just getting to the stadium in passing certain government protocols .  First of all, there was a temperature check (yo...

Gyeongnam FC: A half way season report

Gyeongnam FC was relegated into K League 2 after losing a relegation playoff doubleheader against bitter rivals Busan I Park back in 2019.   The clubs venture into a lower division hasn't been all that plain sailing at all, challenging is a better term to use.   Firstly our manager changed from Kim Jung-boo to former Korean international and Premier League star Seol Ki-hyeon.  It was Seol's first foray  into full professional management.  He had been managing Sungkyunkwan University for two years before joining Gyeongnam. When getting relegated usually the better players in the squad jump ship and look for pastures new.  Japanese star playmaker Kunimoto joined K League 1 powerhouses Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.  Goalkeeper Lee Bum-soo joined Gangwon FC and promising youngster Kim Joon-beom moved north to play for Incheon United FC.  So under the new management team, the whole club had a major re-shuffle of the squad. The l...

My love for Gyeongnam FC

I came to South Korea in 2003 to teach English in a language academy in Masan.  Masan is located in Gyeongnam, the team who I was to start supporting.  They didn't even have a professional team when I first landed on Korean shores.  They were formed in 2006.  They used to play their home games in the Changwon Civil Stadium which was surrounded by an athletic track , so you were so far away from the action on the pitch.  I love attending live sports, especially football.  This was a great way to let off some steam with some good friends and watch a game of live football from the mundane week of teaching.  In 2010 Gyeongnam moved to play in a more modern stadium (Changwon Football Center) at the base of a mountain about a ten-minute drive away.  The stadium itself is supported by four full-sized training pitches and a 4G turf training ground covered by a roof.   Changwon Civic Stadium Changwon Football Center Through going to t...

Top 5 signings for Gyeongnam pre 2020 season

I delved into the Gyeongnam FC's squad to pick out who I think have been their top five signings coming into the 2020 campaign.  Read the full article below:- Pick of Gyeongnam's signings pre 2020 season Many thanks, James Edrupt

My Gyeongnam FC 2020 season preview article

Here is my season preview for the K League 2 side Gyeongnam FC I write about    for  http://www.kleagueunited.com/ .  Please feel free to read at your leisure.  Please click the link below:- Gyeongnam FC 2020 preview Many thanks, James Edrupt