Korea's first World Cup win after 48 years of trying was the result of coach Guus Hiddink's strategy, tactics, and leadership. Using scientific and systematic training techniques, the national team's physical strength has surprisingly improved. His emphasis on competition and mental strategy has placed Korean football among the best.
We have seen and felt many things in Guus Hiddink. In particular it would seem his tactics have something to say to Korean politics and society. To begin with, he has chosen team members on ability alone, ever since assuming command. To him, there is no such thing as "forever" with an athlete. When his men didn't perform, he let them go. He made men in each position compete, and then chose the best from that process. The chronic disease that has plagued Korean football, namely school, regional and other connections, never worked with Hiddink. Even athletes that had the right abilities were kept away from the national team when they were unprepared.
Something else he did was create "multi-players" who can do well in any position. By training them in a way that helped them understand the full rhythm of the game from any position, he made formation changes possible in the real game. In the way he has made strikers play defense as well, Hiddink's all-weather drills provide us with another lesson.
Coach Hiddink has always emphasized maintaining principles and discipline, and the need to be professionals with passion and a positive attitude. Once the object of some negative public sentiment, he never surrendered his beliefs, and in the end his football philosophy has brought us the inspiration we enjoy today. Korean politics and society has practiced division instead of inspiration, closed associations instead of ability, and have much to learn from Hiddink¡¯s leadership. Football has done what no one else has been able to.
June 6, 2002
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