Ja-Cheol Koo
| Koo Ja-cheol 구자철 | |||
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Koo Ja-cheol | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-02-27) 27 February 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Nonsan, South Chungcheong, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Mainz 05 | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2011 | Jeju United | 70 | (7) |
| 2011–2014 | VfL Wolfsburg | 32 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Augsburg (loan) | 36 | (8) |
| 2014– | Mainz 05 | 14 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | South Korea U20 | 16 | (5) |
| 2009–2012 | South Korea U23 | 7 | (3) |
| 2008– | South Korea | 37 | (12) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 May 2014. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
| Koo Ja-cheol | |
| Hangul | 구자철 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 具滋哲 |
| Revised Romanization | Gu Ja-cheol /Gu Ja-Chul |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ku Cha-ch'ŏl |
Koo Ja-cheol (Hangul: 구자철; born 27 February 1989) is a South Korean footballer who plays as midfielder for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and is the captain of the South Korean football team.[1] Blessed with technique and vision, Koo "has an uncanny ability to find the back of the net, often displaying a knack to charge into the opposition penalty box unsighted."[2]
Contents
Career
Early career
Koo started football at age ten when a nearby elementary school opened its football club. During his early youth career, he mostly played as a defender, often taking sweeper role. However, he wasn't particularly outstanding and the fact he suffered from anemia also hindered him from gaining attention. In 2006, as a member of Boin High School, Koo participated in the Baekrok High School Football Competition that is annually held in Jeju Island. Leading Boin High School to a runner-up place with an outstanding performance, he grabbed the attention of Jung Hae-Seong, who was then the manager of Jeju United.
Jeju United
In 2007, Koo was selected by Jeju United in the K-League draft. He failed to make an impression in his first two years at Jeju due to numerous injuries. However, he slowly broke into the first team, mostly playing as a defensive midfielder. In January 2010, he was reportedly invited by Blackburn Rovers for a trial, but the move didn't happen. He spent a great season in 2010 at Jeju instead, driving his club to an unprecedented runner-up position. His contribution also enabled him to gain personal honors, as he received the 'FAN'tastic Player award and the Top Assist award and was included in the Best XI.
VfL Wolfsburg
On 30 January 2011, Koo Ja-cheol successfully moved to VfL Wolfsburg during the winter transfer window, signing a three-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee.[3] On 12 February 2011, Koo made his VfL Wolfsburg debut against Hamburger SV, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute in the 0–1 home defeat.[4]
Loan to Augsburg
On 31 January 2012, he moved on loan to the league rivals FC Augsburg.[5][6] During the loan period, he scored five goals in 15 appearances, and played a significant part in helping Augsburg escape relegation in their maiden season in the Bundesliga.[7] In his second tenure at Augsburg, Koo was plagued by injuries but still helped the club survive relegation in the limited games he had played in.
Mainz 05
On 18 January 2014, it was announced that Koo penned a four-and-a-half year deal with Mainz 05.[8] He scored his first goal for Mainz in a 2-0 victory over SC Freiburg.
International career
Koo played a central role in helping South Korea finish third in the 2011 Asian Cup, with five goals and three assists over the tournament, finishing as the tournament's top scorer.[9]
During the 2012 London Olympics, Koo played as a central midfielder in the Korean national football team. He appeared in every game in the tournament, and scored the second goal during the second half of the bronze medal match against Japan, securing a 2–0 victory for Korea. The South Korean team won the bronze medal in football for the first time in its Olympics history and in doing so, became the second Asian team in the Olympics men's football to reach the semifinals.[10]
He was named captain of the national team ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
Club career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Korea Republic | League | FA Cup | K-League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2007 | Jeju United | K-League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2008 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 5 | ||
| Country | Korea Republic | 70 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 95 | 9 | |
| Germany | League | DFB-Pokal | DFB Ligapokal | Total | ||||||
| 2010–11 | VfL Wolfsburg | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| FC Augsburg | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 15 | 5 | ||
| 2012–13 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14 | VfL Wolfsburg | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | |
| Mainz 05 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||
| Country | Germany | 82 | 9 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 85 | 9 | |
| Total | 152 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 181 | 18 | ||
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 January 2010 | Johannesburg | Zambia | 2–4 | 2–4 | Friendly match |
| 2 | 7 February 2010 | Tokyo | Hong Kong | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2010 EAFF Championship |
| 3 | 10 January 2011 | Doha | Bahrain | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 4 | 10 January 2011 | Doha | Bahrain | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 5 | 14 January 2011 | Doha | Australia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 6 | 18 January 2011 | Doha | India | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 7 | 28 January 2011 | Doha | Uzbekistan | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
| 8 | 7 June 2011 | Jeonju | Ghana | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly match |
| 9 | 15 November 2011 | Beirut | Lebanon | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 10 | 12 June 2012 | Goyang | Lebanon | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 11 | 6 September 2013 | Incheon | Haiti | 2–1 | 4–1 | Friendly match |
| 12 | 15 October 2013 | Cheonan | Mali | 1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly match |
Honours
Club
- Jeju United
- K-League Runners up: 2010
Individual
- K-League Best XI: 2010
- K-League Top Assistor: 2010
- K-League 'FAN'tastic Player: 2010
- AFC Asian Cup Top Scorer: 2011
Personal life
Koo likes to go shopping in his spare time in Germany.[11] He is currently the honorary ambassador for The Republic of Korea Air Force.[12] Koo is also a close friend with his teammate Ki Sung-Yueng, and they like to display their friendly, humorous conversations on Twitter.[13] Ki revealed on the Korean talk show Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy that Koo has a nickname called "Koogle Georim" or 구글거림 in Korean because of his sometimes goofy way of talking.[14]
Koo announced that he will be married on 22 June 2013 at Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul.[15]
On 24 June 2013, Koo married a Jeju woman three years older than him at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel.[16]
References
- Jump up ^ "Koo Ja-cheol Named Korea Captain for World Cup". englishchosun.com. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- Jump up ^ "Marco Fabian, Isco and the young stars who could emerge at the 2012 Olympics". Goal.com. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- Jump up ^ "구자철, VfL 볼프스부르크 이적" (in Korean). jeju-utd.com. 31 January 2011.
- Jump up ^ "Neustart missglückt: 0:1-Heimniederlage gegen den HSV" (in German). vfl-wolfsburg.de. 12 February 2011. [dead link]
- Jump up ^ "FCA verpflichtet Koo Ja-Cheol" (in German). FC Augsburg.de. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- Jump up ^ "Augsburg sign Koo Ja-Cheol". Bundesliga.de. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- Jump up ^ "Augsburg Celebrate Survival". Sporting Life. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- Jump up ^ "Ja-Cheol Koo wird Mainzer" (in German). Mainz05.de. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- Jump up ^ "Wolfburg Sign Jeju United's Koo Ja Cheol After Impressive Asian Cup". goal.com. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ Teale, Chris (10 August 2012). "South Korea 2-0 Japan: Park & Koo strikes secure bronze". goal.com. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ "구자철은 왜 독일에서 여자 취급받았나" (in Korean). Sportal Korea. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ "구자철, 공군 홍보대사 위촉" (in Korean). citydaily. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ "구자철아닙니다". twitter.com. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ "기성용, "구자철 별명은 구글거림" 폭로" (in Korean). asiae.co.kr. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Jump up ^ "구자철 결혼 발표…6월22일 연상녀와 '웨딩마치'" (in Korean). etoday.co.kr. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- Jump up ^ "Footballer Koo Ja-cheol is married". Dong A.com. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
External links
- ESPN Soccernet profile
- Koo Ja-cheol at kleague.com
- Koo Ja-Cheol – FIFA competition record
- Koo Ja-cheol at National-Football-Teams.com
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Luiz | K-League Top Assistor 2010 | Succeeded by Lee Dong-Gook |
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