National Soccer Championship

 Soccer is generally regarded as most suited to the Korean people because it symbolizes our national spirit: courage, toughness and tolerance. From the economic point of view also, it is good for Korean since it is inexpensive to support, unlike other ball games which need special equipment. All it needs is a ball and small playground although the size required by rule for a normal game is 360 ft. long and 225 ft. wide at maximum.

 

 The beginning of soccer in Korea dates back to the year 1882, 93 years ago, when it is said either foreign teachers at a foreign language school or English sailors from a British naval vessel that came into Inchon port in 1882 started playing soccer for Korean to see the game for the first time. A history book says that some records regarding soccer are found in the diary of Kim Ok-kyun, a tragedy-fated young statesman at that time.

 

 During the Japanese occupation period into which the Korean people happened to drift unawares because of the trends of history, soccer was a means by which we could animated and preserve our national courage. Through games by every age level we had all over Korea, whether in the cities or in out-of-the-way provinces, we revealed that we still alive and that we were still waiting for a good chance of independence.

 Small children of primary-school age living in Manchuria with their stubbornly patriotic parents who, hating to cooperate with the Japanese exiled themselves over the Yalu, played soccer with balls made of straw until sunset, the beautiful sunset in the endless Manchurian plain. They never stopped the game until their mothers called them back home.

 

 The annual soccer match in Seoul between Yonhi College and Posung College, now Yonsei and Korea University respectively, was indeed an event which Korean heartily cherished during that period. In the game we saw what genuine Korean young men were really like. And we learned the lesson of courage and the spirit of fair play from the game.

 

 The final match in the 1975 national soccer championship was held in Seoul Stadium on a Saturday afternoon, Nov. 23 to be exact. The elimination games began on Nov. 8 with more than 20 teams participating. All other teams had dropped by the final except two teams: the Army team and the Korea University team. The former represented the best trained Korean army soldiers to whom we owe our peaceful life in the rear, the latter a school with a 70-year history of liberty, justice and truth.

 

 I haven’t been to a soccer game for a long time. The mechanical life of long years between home and school prevented me even from going to the stadium. But this time I didn’t want to miss it, first because the game would be a very exciting one comparable to a fight between a dragon and a tiger, and second because I wanted to be in the very midst of life.

 

 The drama of 90 minutes started with the first kick by the KU team which has four national soccer stars on it including Cha Bom-keun, who is nimble like Pele and gusty like Jairjinho, both Brazilian soccer stars, and whose name is therefore known to all the primary-school children in Korea. His dashing is terrific and his ground manners are gentle. It was crisp fine day, but being the day of “Sosul(Little snow)” by the lunar calendar, was around 3 degrees below the freezing point. Besides, a northwesterly wind was blowing strongly enough to make flag flap to the full. The exciting game, however, made about 20,000 spectators forget the cold.

 

 A heading shot two minutes after the game started by Kang Tae-hyon of the Army team, which has two national star players on it including Park Sang-in whom soccer fans usually compare to Johan Cruyff, the Netherlands soccer star, failed to get into the goal. So did the one made immediately after it by Park Sang-hwa of the Ku team. The performances by the KU team’s twin brother players Kim Song-nam and Kang-nam were something to see. Both were linkers, and moved fast like squirrels running about the woods. The first half of the match, one breathing fire from the mouth like dragon and the other jumping up and down like a tiger, ended up with no score by either team, although the tides of the game were evidently in favour of the KU team, seeing that it made 11 shots whereas the Army team made only three shots in all.

 

 During the ten-minute interval a band and several singers entertained spectators with sound and wholesome melodies and some pop songs. This was something we didn’t have before, especially during the occupation period. At that time, instead of a band and singers, policemen and plainclothes were on the alert all over the stadium. A generation has changed the world. Thinking of this or that, I fell into a recollection of old memories of my unforgettable friend Choi Song-kwon, a soccer star at a college he and I went to.

 He was an extremely handsome boy from a wealthy family in Ulsan, and one of three soccer stars; Chong Nam-sik, Kim Kyu-hwan and himself. Perhaps I became a soccer fan because of him. He was a student, every inch flawless and perfect in the genuine sense of the word.

 

 Now the match resumed its second half, The game seemed stuck in a stalemate, a tug of war in spite of the best efforts by both team players. About 15 minutes after the beginning of the second half, Kim Myong-soo made a long-distance shot, but to the misfortune of the KU team, the ball hit the top right of the goal post and rebounded. The balance, however. was finally broken by one point scored by Kim Hong-sop of the Army team eight minutes after that. The desperate efforts to get even by the KU team ended in vain. Kim Ho-kon known as a Benkenbauer of Korea, sweeper of the army team, was like a castle very difficult to break through. The championship thus went into the hands of the Army team. Fair winner and fine loser; It was a clean and fine match through in which we sensed once more the potentials of the Korean people.

 

 We may occasionally see the dark and pessimistic side of our society. But where can we found at all? Wherever men live, there is bound to be something dark and ugly. We are all aware that 24 hours consist of day and night. Let’s look on the bright side of things. Remember we are now striving forward in esprit de corps for a bright future.

We must learn something from our young men like those soccer players we’ve seen in the final match.

 

 

                                                                                                             The Korea Times

                                                                                                             November 26. 1975

 

                          ↓  전국축구선수권 결승전 우승, 준우승 팀(1946~1975) * 출처_나무위키

1975년 11월 23일 영하 3°의 소설(小雪)에 서울운동장에서 20,000명의 관중이 지켜보며 펼쳐진 전국축구선수권대회 결승전을 관람하신 후기로, 육군 축구단이 고려대학교 팀에 1 : 0으로 승리한 내용입니다.

 

용쟁호투 전반전을 0 : 0으로 마치고, 후반전 15분에 고려대학교 김명수 선수가 날린 장거리슛이 골대 우측 위를 때려 리바운 된 8분 후, 육군 축구단 김홍섭 선수가 한 골을 넣었습니다. 스위퍼로 활약한 김호곤 선수를 차범근, 박성화, 김성남, 김강남 선수를 보유한 고려대학교가 뚫지 못해 육군 축구단이 승자가 되었습니다. 육군 축구단에는 박상인 선수도 있었습니다.

 

주요 선수들 묘사(경칭 생략):

Cha Bom-keun, who is nimble like Pele and gusty like Jairjinho.

His dashing is terrific and his ground manners are gentle.

차범근(고대)_  펠레처럼 재빠르고 자이르징요처럼 폭풍 같은.  공격 질주는 환상이고 경기 매너는 부드러워.

 

Park Sang-in whom soccer fans usually compare to Johan Cruyff.

박상인(육군)_  축구 펜들이 요한 크루이프에 흔히 비교.

 

Twin brother players Kim Song-nam and Kang-nam. Both were linkers, and moved fast like squirrels running about the woods.

김성남, 김강남 쌍둥이 형제(고대)_  숲을 달리는 다람쥐 같이 빠르게 움직이는 링커.

 

Kim Ho-kon known as a Benkenbauer of Korea, sweeper of the army team, was like a castle very difficult to break through.

김호곤(육군)_  한국의 베켄바우어. 육군팀 스위퍼로 뚫기 어려운 성.

 

 

→ 전국축구선수권대회는 대한축구협회가 한국 내셔널 컵 대회의 일원화를 추진하며 2001년 FA컵에 흡수, 통합.