Shin Tae-yong - Thirteen Years With Ilhwa Chunma

-by Mark Trevena-

In the current era of the professional footballer, one-club players are something of a rarity. With the ease and freedom of movement afforded to players it is almost too tempting for them to head off to pastures new after two or three seasons with one club, which makes Shin Tae-yong's thirteen seasons with the Ilhwa Chunma football club a particularly admirable feat.

Born in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang province, in October 1970 Shin progressed from school football through to the Korean U-16 and U-19 sides. He was first selected for the Korean Olympic football team in qualifiers for the 1992 Barcelona games but when the national team failed to qualify his age precluded him from playing on any longer after that tournament.

His rise to prominence in the various levels of the national set-up and his performances with Yeongnam University attracted the attention of the K-League clubs, and prior to the start of the 1992 season Shin signed professional terms with Seoul-based Ilhwa Chunma. Despite the club being registered to play their home games at the Dongdaemun Stadium, Shin's first professional goal came in Jeonju, venue for Chunma's "home" match against POSCO Atoms. His strike four minutes from time in that April meeting rescued a point for the Chunma and was the first in a goal tally that would go on to almost reach three figures during the following twelve years.

Chunma finished one point adrift of POSCO that season in the league, however Shin ended his first professional season with a winner's medal after his team's triumph in the Adidas Cup. Shin's 10th minute opener in the final against LG Cheetahs set Chunma on their way to a 2-0 victory and gave the club their first ever silverware.
1993 was to prove even more successful than the previous season as the Chunma went one better to lift the K-League championship. Shin's six goals and seven assists went a long way to securing his team's nine point advantage over second-place LG and also secured a berth in the Asian Champions Cup for 1995. An international call-up was great recognition for his performances the previous season, with Shin making his Korean debut in a March 1993 friendly in Canada. Shin again lifted the league championship in 1994 and 1995 as he became an integral member of the league's dominant force, and indeed picked up the 1995 K-League MVP award.

Despite his club losing out in the semi-finals of the 1995 Asian Champions Cup, the Chunma went one better in 1996 and were crowned Asian champions. The club, which had recently moved from Seoul to Cheonan, defeated Al-Nasr in the final for Shin to pick up his fifth professional medal. He almost made it two-in-a-row in 1996 only for the Chunma to fall to Pohang Steelers in the final of the tournament in Malaysia. He did pick up an Asian Super Cup medal that year as Japanese side Bellmare Hiratsuka were crushed 6-3 on aggregate. His domestic form was nothing short of astonishing that season, netting 21 times in 29 games despite the side struggling in the league.

The Chunma's move to Cheonan coincided with a dramatic dip in form and from three consecutive championships and Asian success as recently as 1995 the club started a slow but steady slide down the table. After finishing 8th out of the ten sides in the 1997 season, Shin was offered a trial in early 1998 with German Bundesliga side Hansa Rostock. Despite impressing the German coaches Shin opted against the switch to Europe and remained in Cheonan. The 1998 season gave him plenty of cause to regret that decision as his club finished dead last in the K-League and did exactly the same in 1999, however the side that did finish bottom in the last season of the 20th century did round things off nicely with an FA Cup victory.

On the move again, this time to Seongnam, Ilhwa Chunma's fortunes improved for the 2000 season as they got back in amonst the challengers at the right end of the table. 2001 saw Shin pick up his fourth K-League championship medal, and he would go on to add a fifth and sixth in 2002 and 2003. 2002 also saw him pick up a second Adidas Cup medal and a Korean Super Cup medal with wins over Ulsan and Daejeon respectively.

2004, which was to prove to be Shin's final season in the K-League, saw him surpass one milestone but just fail to reach another. The November 13th clash at home against Gwangju was Shin's 400th K-League match for Ilhwa Chunma in each of its various guises, all the more remarkable considering they all came with the same club and a feat that is unlikely to be matched for many years to come. One disappointment for Shin will be missing out on the 100 goal barrier, falling just one short with 99 strikes in his K-League career, however he collected another two medals with the A3 Champions Cup and Hauzen Cup victories during the season.

Despite the protests of outraged Seongnam fans over the club's decision not to offer him a new contract, Shin's K-League career came to an end at the end of the 2004 season and his last match in Seongnam colours was the second leg of the Asian Champions League final defeat to Al-Ittihad, and the veteran playmaker sought a new challenge with Australian league side Queensland Roar.

Total appearances: 401
Total goals: 99

K-League championships: 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003
FA Cup: 1999
Adidas Cup: 1992, 2002
Asian Club Championship: 1996
Asian Super Cup: 1996
A3 Champions Cup: 2004
Samsung Hauzen Cup: 2004