Cha Du-ri thanks for `happy finale’ as national soccer team player

Cha Du-ri thanks for `happy finale’ as national soccer team player. March. 30, 2015 07:13. yjongk@donga.com.

More than 1,000 fans applauded chanting “Cha Du-ri” when the 35-year-old dubbed "Cha-minator" ran into the ground together with his teammates of the Korean national soccer team at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Cha shyly smiled and waved his hands to the fans.

Team Korea’s exhibition game against New Zealand at 8 p.m. on Tuesday will be the last match for Cha to play as a member of the national team. After finishing the 90-minute training amid feverish cheering by fans on Sunday, Cha said, “I have never experienced this before. I feel happy because I conducted my last training session with younger teammates of the national team in the presence of many fans. I was able to come until today thanks to fans’ unwavering love. I deeply thank fans.”

“I also thank Coach Uli Stielike who allowed me to play a retirement match that any soccer player would dream about. I am thrilled that I will have a happy finale,” Cha went on to say with a beaming face. “The exhibition match against New Zealand is an important game to the national team as well. I hope to conclude by career (as national team player) with a victory by making thorough preparation.” Cha, who had his A-match debut at an exhibition game against Senegal in November 2001, has played for the national team for 14 years including the 2002 World Cup Korea-Japan, when the national team made it all the way to the semifinals.

His younger teammates of the national team vowed to Cha that they will present a victory to the veteran player. Ku Ja-cheol (26, Mainz) said, “Du-ri is an invaluable person and a senior player who always take good care of younger players, for which we are very grateful. We all will do our best to present him with a win without fail.” Captain Ki Sung-yueng (26, Swansea City) said, “Du-ri’s retirement match is special for me. I spent two years with him in Celtic in Scotland. Du-ri gave a significant boost to the national team as well. I will never forget him as a senior teammate.”