Hyundai test for Shantoo

Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i FC coach Lee Sang Chul (C) speaks at a press briefing at BFF House yesterday.Photo: STAR

Interim coach Shahidur Rahman Shantoo gets his last chance to watch his players before picking his side when the Bangladesh national team take on Ulsan Hyundai FC in a friendly match at Bangabandhu National Stadium today.
Having lost the first warm-up against Sheikh Russel KC and winning the second game against BFF XI, Shantoo is focusing on rectifying the mistakes of the first two preparation games through the match against Hyundai, a two-time champions in the K. League.
"The squad is gradually getting into fine shape playing warm-up matches and taking tomorrow's (Thursday) match as usual, but I will try to rectify the mistakes the boys did in the first two matches," said Shantoo, who was assigned to guide the national squad following the termination of Brazilian coach Edson Silva Dido's contract over his youthful selection.
"Some of the players are still fighting closely for the 20-member final squad and I think the match will help me a lot to pick up the final squad," said the former national coach.
Nevertheless, Shantoo will try to set his best eleven before launching the SAFF Cham-pionship campaign against Bhutan on December 4.
"In the first match, I had tried all players, but you saw in the second warm-up I almost fielded the same squad with a few changes and I think there will be a minor change in match against Ulsan Hyundai," said the BFF technical director adding they were not taking the match too seriously because of fear of injury.
Hyundai FC's star-studded side with all professional booters, however confirmed that they are taking the match seriously to uplift their image of the club.
"It is a friendly match, but we will certainly not leave any room for them because our prestige is involved," said captain You Kyoung Youl at a press conference at the BFF house yesterday.
Assistant coach Lee Sang Chul believes that match will be a competitive one.
"We saw Maldives, Thailand, Myanmar improved a lot and hope the same competitiveness comes from Bangladesh, who might have improved a lot," said Chul.
It is a part of Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I's Asia tour before their domestic session kicks off in February next. Before coming here, the visitors also travelled to Maldives where they beat the Maldives national team 2-1 and after the game in Dhaka they will head home.
Ulsan Hyundai will field a virtual second-string side as their three members of the Korean national team as well as six Brazilian players left home because of their different commitments outside Korea.
Ulsan finished eighth in the recently-concluded K-League and failed to reach the second round of the Asian Champions League finishing third in Group E behind Nagoya Grampus Eight of Japan and Australian side New Castle Jets.
'We have come here to strengthen the tie between Korea and Bangladesh. Besides, the BFF president and the Korean Football Federation president have a cordial relation between them and the tour is the outcome of that,' said Chul.
The coach is not a newcomer in Dhaka as he visited the Bangladesh capital back in 1996 when Ulsan Hyundai defeated Dhaka Mohammedan SC 3-1 at home and went 5-0 down in away match in the Asia Cup Winners Cup.