Jun 25, 2002
Hey, they stole my quote!
Win or lose – the Reds win
by FIFAworldcup.com
Even though the Korean team was beaten in their semi-final by Germany on Tuesday, one could argue that the real winners of the evening were the millions of Korean fans who supported their side all over the country.
Tens of thousands of fans without tickets gathered outside the stadium several hours before the kick off to ensure that they received the next best thing to a ticket for the game of the century – a place in front of the large screen TV that had been set up next to the stadium. And as soon as the fans started arriving, the party began.
Music was blaring out of several huge loudspeakers scattered all over the World Cup Park next to the 65,000-seater stadium and people were dancing and clapping, stopping only to chant the familiar Ko-Ko-Korea and Taehan Minguk.
Police issued a statement before the match that they expected some seven million Koreans to take to the streets of the country to watch the game on one of the thousands of large-screen TVs that had been set up all around the country.
Of those seven million, one million were expected to gather outside the stadium. Choi Yong Chul was one of those who arrived at lunchtime. I wanted to make sure that I was going to be here. It was impossible to get a ticket for this match, but I wanted to get the atmosphere of the stadium. That is why I came here.
Scattered amongst the largely-Korean crowd were a small group of foreigners. Even a handful of German fans were amongst them. Lutz Meier explained that he had a ticket for the game and was going to watch it in the stadium.
But before I go to my seat, I want to capture a bit of the feeling outside here. This is unbelievable. Where else in the world can fans go to a match and be with a group of the other fans and not feel intimidated. Here at this World Cup everybody is just so friendly. People want to come and have a photograph taken with me all the time and chat to me, but there are certainly no hassles.
Once the game in the stadium began, there was no difference between those inside and outside. They all cheered when their side touched the ball, they booed the Germans and urged their side forward with their chants.
When referee Urs Meier blew the final whistle, none of the fans in the stadium, or those outside left the area. They continued cheering and did so until the Korean players had gone to all four sides of the stadium and bowed, which is considered a sign of respect. In return they received, what could have been, the biggest cheer of the evening.
It was an evening the fans inside as well as those around the stadium will never forget. More importantly, it was an evening in which there were only winners: The German side for going through to the final, the Korean team for giving the FIFA World Cup a refreshing new face and the Reds – for being probably the best fans in the world.
