World Cup: South Korea
(Ahn Young-joon / AP)
The South Korea national team poses before a friendly against Australia on Sept. 5, 2009, in Seoul.
Men's ranking: 49
Overall World Cup record: 4-13-7
Coach: Huh Jung-Moo
Best performance: Fourth place, 2002
No Asian team has been to the World Cup more often than South Korea, which is making its eighth appearance this summer. But the South Koreans have made it out of the first round only once, in 2002. Coach Huh Jung-Moo, a former national team star who is retiring after this World Cup, will be counting heavily on Manchester United striker Park Ji-Sung and playmaker Park Chu-Young. -- Kevin Baxter