SOUTH KOREA * JAPAN

U.S. OPPONENTS* FIRST ROUND

Opponents for the United States (ranked tied for 20th by FIFA) in Group D of the 2002 World Cup:

PORTUGAL

June 5 at Suwon, South Korea

Suwon World Cup Stadium (capacity 44,047)

* FIFA ranking: Fourth

* Coach: Antonio Oliveira

* Record in qualifying: 7-0-3

* World Cup appearances: 1966 (third place), 1986 (17th)

* World Cup record: 6-3; Record vs. United States: 2-1-1

* Last game vs. United States: June 3, 1992, at Chicago, United States 1, Portugal 0

* Stars: M Luis Figo (Real Madrid, Spain), M Rui Costa (AC Milan, Italy)

* Notes: Scored 33 goals, the most in qualifying among European teams, led by Pedro Pauleta (8), Nuno Gomes (7) and Figo (6). Allowed only seven goals in qualifying, playing in a difficult group with Ireland and the Netherlands.

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SOUTH KOREA

June 10 at Daegu, South Korea

Daegu Main Stadium (capacity 66,040)

* FIFA ranking: 43rd

* Coach: Guus Hiddink

* Record in qualifying: automatic berth

* World Cup appearances: 1954 (16th), 1986 (20th), 1990 (22nd), 1994 (20th), 1998 (30th)

* World Cup record: 0-10-4; Record vs. United States: 2-0-1

* Last game vs. United States: March 12, 1994, United States 1, South Korea 1, at Fullerton; South Korea plays the United States on Dec. 9 at Seogwipo, and on Jan. 19 at the Rose Bowl in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

* Stars: D Hong Myung-Bo (Kashiwa Reysol, Japan), F Ahn Jung-Hwan (Perugia, Italy)

* Notes: Hiddink guided the Netherlands to the semifinals in 1998, but faces a tougher task with a defense-oriented lineup and enormous local expectations. Scheduled to play Portugal at Lisbon on March 27 and defending champion France in Seoul on May 26 in its final World Cup tuneup.

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POLAND

June 14 at Daejeon, South Korea

Daejeon World Cup Stadium (capacity 42,000)

* FIFA ranking: 33rd

* Coach: Jerzy Engel

* Record in qualifying: 6-1-3

* World Cup appearances: 1938 (11th), 1974 (third), 1982 (third), 1986 (14th)

* World Cup record: 13-7-5; Record vs. United States: 6-4-1

* Last game vs. United States: Oct. 10, 1990, United States 3, Poland 2, at Warsaw.

* Stars: F Emanuel Olisadebe (Panathinaikos, Greece), G Jerzy Dudek (Liverpool, England)

* Notes: Poland was the first team in European qualifying to clinch a berth. Olisadebe, a Nigerian who became a Polish citizen, scored eight of Poland’s 19 goals in qualifying; his total tied for third in European qualifying.