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| Former South Korean international Huh Jung-moo, left, kicks Diego Maradona during the Mexico World Cup group stage match between South Korea and Argentina, June 3, 1986. / Korea Times files |
By John Duerden
Diego Maradona will always have a special place in the hearts of fans everywhere. In the opinion of many ― myself included ― he was the best player ever. The Argentine was, and will remain,?a legend. He also crossed swords with South Korea on two memorable occasions at World Cups that took place 24 years apart.
One wonders how Huh Jung-moo felt on hearing the news on Wednesday that Maradona had died at the age of 60 after having a heart attack. Just to be part of the South American's career, a player that he remembers coming up against, is an honor, something that will stay with a person forever. It wasn't just that Maradona was so good on the field, but his overall presence off it, a person who lived a full life.
Argentina declared three days of national mourning for the player who won the World Cup for the country in 1986. At that tournament he was the best player on the planet playing at the top of his game. It was amazing to watch this talent drag an unremarkable team to the biggest prize in sport.?
On the way to the final in Mexico City, Argentina and Maradona met South Korea. It was Korea's first World Cup game for 32 years and the team was short of international experience suddenly having to handle the best player on the planet.?
It did get a little rough. There is a famous photograph of Huh Jung-moo lunging at Maradona with the South American clearly in pain.??
In 2009, the Argentine claimed that Korea had not been playing the beautiful game at all. "I remember Huh very well," Maradona said. "In 1986 the Koreans played Tae Kwon Do, not football, against us."
"There were physical tussles and that is natural," Huh said a year later. "He was a great player and it was difficult to mark him, so we probably got a bit physical because of that, but it was not malicious."
In 2010, Huh said, "To tell the truth, we were really very intimidated then playing Argentina and a great player like Maradona; it was all an unknown quantity for us. It was difficult for us to mark him; it was all a little bit too much!"
It was indeed as Argentina won the game 3-1.?
The reason that the two men were talking about each other was because at the 2010 World Cup, Huh and Maradona were coaches of their national teams that had, once again, been drawn in the same group.
Korea had won the first game at the 2010 World Cup, a fine 2-0 victory over Greece in Port Elizabeth. Then came Argentina at Soccer City in Soweto. I remember it well. It was a cold, bright day just outside Johannesburg and there was a real feeling that Korea could get something against an unpredictable team.
It didn't turn out that way. Lionel Messi was on fire as Argentina won 4-1. There was a time, when the scoreline was 2-1, when Korea could have got back in the game but it wasn't to be.
Maradona beat Huh Jung-moo again but to be beaten by the greatest player the world has ever seen was a matter of pride. To be part of that amazing life is something to be treasured. We will never see his like again.
