Song Chong-gug facts for kids
Song with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2008.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Song Chong-gug | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 February 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Danyang, Chungbuk, South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Busan I'Cons | 34 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Feyenoord | 53 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 95 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Al-Shabab | 7 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ulsan Hyundai | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Tianjin Teda | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 216 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | South Korea U20 | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | South Korea U23 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | South Korea | 60 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| Song Chong-gug | |
| Hangul |
송종국
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| Hanja |
宋鐘國
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| Revised Romanization | Song Jong-guk |
| McCune–Reischauer | Song Chongguk |
Song Chong-gug (Korean: 송종국; born on February 20, 1979) is a former South Korean footballer. He played as a defender or a midfielder. He was a key player for the South Korea national football team. Song represented his country in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Song Chong-gug's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Song Chong-gug began his international football journey in June 2000. He played his first game for South Korea against Macedonia. At that time, he was still a university student.
In 2001, Song became a professional player. He joined a K League club called Busan I'Cons. This was right after he finished his studies at Yonsei University. He quickly showed his talent and was named the K League Rookie of the Year in his first season.
Guus Hiddink, the new coach for the South Korean national team, soon picked Song for the World Cup team. Coach Hiddink tried Song in different positions, both in midfield and defense. Song eventually found his best role as a right-back.
2002 FIFA World Cup Heroics
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was a huge moment for South Korea. The team finished in an amazing fourth place. Song Chong-gug was a standout player during this tournament. He was the only player on the South Korean team who played every single minute of all seven matches. This means he was on the field for 687 minutes!
One of his most memorable performances was against Portugal. He perfectly defended against Portugal's star player, Luís Figo. Song blocked all twelve of Figo's dribbles, not letting him get past. This showed how skilled and determined Song was as a defender.
Playing in Europe: Feyenoord
After the 2002 World Cup, big European clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal wanted to sign Song. However, his club, Busan I'Cons, tried to keep him. Song really wanted to play in Europe.
He eventually joined Feyenoord, a club in the Eredivisie league in the Netherlands. He played 56 games for Feyenoord over two seasons. This included matches in the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, he started to have ankle injuries, which affected his performance.
Return to South Korea: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
In January 2005, Song returned to South Korea. He joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings. In October 2005, he injured his ankle again and needed surgery. He came back to play after five months, but his injuries had made him less strong than before.
Despite concerns about his fitness, Song was chosen for the national team again for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in the first group match against Togo. In this game, he successfully stopped Emmanuel Adebayor, a strong opposing player. Song also helped set up South Korea's winning goal in that match. Even though he played better than expected, the coach decided not to play him in the next games.
After the 2006 World Cup, Song became a very important player for Suwon. He even became the team captain in 2008. He scored the winning goal in the 2008 K League Championship final. This helped his team win the league title!
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Suwon in 2010, Song played for a few other clubs. These included Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, Ulsan Hyundai in South Korea, and Tianjin Teda in China.
He was released by Tianjin at the end of the 2011 season. In March 2012, Song Chong-gug officially announced his retirement from professional football.
Television Appearances
Song Chong-gug has also appeared on television shows.
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dancing with the Stars Season 2 | Himself | ||
| 2013–2014 | Dad! Where Are We Going? | Himself | ||
| 2020 | Let's Play Soccer | Himself | Episode 48 | |
| 2022 | Gundesliga | Himself |
Football Achievements and Awards
Song Chong-gug earned many honors throughout his football career.
Busan I'Cons
- Korean League Cup runner-up: 2001
Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup runner-up: 2002–03
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
- Pan-Pacific Championship: 2009
- A3 Champions Cup: 2005
- K League 1: 2008
- Korean FA Cup: 2009
- Korean League Cup: 2005, 2008
- Korean Super Cup: 2005
Tianjin Teda
- Chinese FA Cup: 2011
South Korea U20
- AFC Youth Championship: 1998
South Korea
- AFC Asian Cup third place: 2007
Individual Awards
- K League All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007
- AFC Player of the Month: November 2001
- K League Rookie of the Year: 2001
- K League 1 Best XI: 2001
- AFC Opta All-time XI at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Song Chong-gug para niños
