JEJU WEEKLY

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A brilliant night at the clubhouseThe Jeju Weekly vs. Jeju United FC Friendly Soccer Match unites Orange's coaching staff and local expats
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¡ã The two teams after the action at the Jeju United Clubhouse in Seogwipo City, April 25. Photo by Angela Kim

For more photos of the friendly soccer match, please go to our Facebook albums here and here. -- Ed.

On a breezy and cool Wednesday evening, Jeju United FC, the island’s only professional sports team, opened its doors — and its pitch — to the foreign community for an evening of camaraderie, food, and most importantly, football.

The Jeju Weekly vs. Jeju United FC Friendly Soccer Match on April 25 was an opportunity for both the foreigner and Korean communities on the island to come together and bond through sport.

The Jeju Weekly team, coached (in the loosest sense of the word) by The Weekly’s sports writer Matt Harris, was comprised of local expats, while Jeju United’s roster was the official team’s coaching staff including expat-favorite Head Coach Park Kyung Hoon, known to many as the Silver Fox.

At around 7:30 p.m. the players took to the pitch, United in orange, The Weekly in blue, for a game of three 25-minute thirds which were surprisingly physical and competitive.

Over 60 spectators, including Jeju United players Adrian Madaschi, Santos Jr., and Robert, braved the chilly conditions to watch a riveting game. The Weekly took a surprising early lead during the first third when new arrival from Daegu, Daniel Springett fired an angled shot in off the post.

The Weekly team looked to be taking a slender lead into the first break when Springett turned from hero to villain catching a United player as he attempted to charge down a shot and giving away a penalty. Coach Park took the kick sending the ball to the left side of the net beating keeper Nic Cunniffe, who had earlier made the save of the game reacting brilliantly to a close range volley from former international player Park Kyung Hoon,

The second period continued at a fast pace, however neither team were able to trouble the scoreboard.

With the teams tied at one apiece, both were trying find a winner in the final third. The game became more physical, with the amount of fouls increasing (probably in direct relation to how knackered the players were becoming). The Weekly had several chances to score and restricted United to a handful, but due to another, this time debatable, foul in The Weekly’s box, United were awarded another penalty which Park again took knocking it past Timo LaTour into the corner for the winner.

The game ended 2-1 to Jeju United, but the result was not the end-goal of the night. United invited all present into their clubhouse in Seogwipo City for dinner.

Jeju United CEO & President Byun Myung Gi told The Weekly after the game from the Orange’s dining hall that fans come to watch the game “[but] when they actually play together they build a kinship and become a family.”

For him and for the rest of Jeju United, this was the purpose of the night, to build a more intimate relationship with their fans.

“I have noticed a lot of foreigners come to our home games so I am very excited to see those fans play against our coaching staff,” he said.

Camaraderie and relationship building aside, Byun said that out of all the friendly matches they have, and they have several every year, The Weekly’s team was the most talented his coaching staff had faced.

“Among [the friendly matches United have played] this team was the best — they were the strongest, definitely. Since many of them are from England they must have played since they were young and they are very strong and they shouldn’t be called amateurs, they are at the semi-pro level,” he said.

Not to be outdone, Coach Park, during a informal thank you speech in the dining hall, said, not without hyperbole, that the game was akin to Barcelona versus Real Madrid.

Darren Southcott, a winger for The Weekly said of the game that “It was great to play against the coaching staff ... Some of our players were star struck, but we had to get on with the task. We are grateful they took the time to play us and we hope we can set at game up in the future.”

It was a once in a lifetime experience to play against professional footballers, especially Coach Park who was a member of the Korean team for FIFA World Cups in 1986 and 1990. The game left many in the foreign community asking when they can expect a rematch.

When the idea presented to President Byun, he laughed.

“If they want a rematch ... I will tell the coaching staff to prepare for at least a week,” he said.

(Matt Harris contributed reporting.)

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