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"Why does he keep falling over like that?" people once asked of ¡°foul king¡± Park Ji-sung. After being picked up by Manchester United, he was in the spotlight, but not always for positive reasons. Particularly in fights for the ball with the opposing team's defenders, Park often ended up on his back, which prompted some to think that he has weak fighting skills. But every time, Park said the same thing: "I think before I fall." It is a way of dealing with the other team¡¯s adhesive defense or a rough tackle.
This tactic ended up laying the foundation for the Korean team's first win: seven fouls.
That was 40 percent of the 17 fouls of the Togo team. Park brought out all four yellow cards Togo received, and then eights minutes into the second half a red card for Jean-Paul Abalo that set up Lee Chun-soo for the free kick. Park, in fact, was the falling force behind the 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
Park¡¯s flying act is already well known in the U.K.¡¯s Premier League. Fans once thought, Is he just falling over like that because he's a little Asian guy who doesn't eat very much? Now they are praising the maneuver as the perfect way to bring out yellow cards for the opposing team. Park has been fouled 55 times: the team's undisputed leader. Teammate Gary Neville has called Park ¡°a defender's nightmare." "Am I injured?¡± Park joked. ¡°I'll run till the soles of my feet wear off."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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