Birth Date: 14 July 1968 Height: 183 cm Weight: 79 kg Position: FW Current Club: Kashiwa Reysol (JPN) Int'l Goals: 49 (as of 27 May 2002) Int'l Caps: 97 (as of 27 May 2002) First Int'l Cap: Japan ( 6 December 1988)
Profile
Hwang Sun-hong is one of Korea Republic's most experienced players.
As far as Korean scoring sensations go, Hwang is the genuine
article. For more than a full decade the outstanding marksman has
been a roving menace in front of goal for Korea and a handful of
club sides.Hwang is one of Korea's most beloved footballers - no
small feat in a nation suffering from football mania for the better
part of a century. Hwang has scored several goals for the national
side, though an overly critical minority in Korea continue to
question his consistency in front of net, accusing the rampaging
forward of squandering opportunities too often.At 33, there are some
in Korea who also wonder if the national team's dreams would not be
better served with a younger striker leading the charge to glory on
the world stage. Despite the criticisms, Hwang's past achievements
seem to speak for themselves, and loudly.The steely striker is a
veteran of three FIFA World Cups™ scoring against Germany in USA 94.
He also played in the Olympic Football Tournament in Atlanta in
1996, as well as two Asian Cups in 1988 and 1996. The astute
attacker was named Most Valuable J League player in 1994, and topped
the J League scoring charts with his club side Kashiwa Reysol in
1999. As a nod to his outstanding string of performances for both
clubs and country, Hwang was short-listed for the prestigious Asian
Player of the Year award.Hwang is well considered one of Asia's
finest players, and surely one of Korea's top prospects for
recognition and inspiration come June.Korea have never reached the
second round of a FIFA World Cup, but with the able and ample
contributions of one of the continent's finest finishers figuring in
manager Guus Hiddink's plans, the Korean citizenry may well be set
for a welcome shock to the system when they co-host the 2002 FIFA
World Cup Korea/Japan.
