S.Korea’s Park, Lee retire from international football
Park Ji-Sung and Lee Young-Pyo’s retirement from international football puts the onus on South Korea’s new generation, and both players are confident they have what it takes.
South Korea coach Cho Kwang-Rae said midfielder Park, 29, was calling it quits on Friday after the team beat Uzbekistan 3-2 to secure third place at the Asian Cup and an automatic berth at the 2015 tournament in Australia.
Left-back Lee, 33, had already announced his own decision to step back from international football earlier in the week.
It is a big loss for South Korea, with the two players the squad’s bedrock for the last decade, both featuring at three World Cups, starting in 2002 when they were part of the team that made the semi-finals under Guus Hiddink.