Kevin and Steve are back with cool heads to review the state of the national team and measure how badly Korea ought to take their losses during March's international break.

Where does Korea go from here? How did it go so wrong? It's too late to realistically expect dramatic changes, but do we need to consider such drastic measures? We looked so good in September - how could things be so different months later?

Steve also reviews the most recent Joao Aroso controversy, and clarifies where frustrations lie with the media mishap.

FairPoint

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fairpointfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairpointfootball/

Steve Han

Portfolio: https://linktr.ee/realstevescores

X / Twitter: https://x.com/realstevescores

Kevin Kim

ig: @udonpapi

Photo Credit

x.com/librarygreenie

FairPoint connected with Australian/Asian football writer and a dear friend, Paul Williams, to discuss our collaboration on the DC United defender Kye Rowles. As we dug deeper into the issues in and around Australian football, Paul with Steve Han and Junu Lee discussed the similar and different challenges that Australia and Korea are facing in Asian football.

FairPoint teamed up with our friends over at The Asian Game to host Socceroos and DC United defender Kye Rowles, one of the strong contenders to lead Australia's backline at the World Cup this summer. Rowles spoke candidly to FairPoint's very own Steve Han and Junu Lee and shared his experiences so far in Major League Soccer since arriving last year, welcomed the newest MLS superstar Son Heungmin, and spoke about embracing the role of an underdog as Australia international as the Socceroos prepare to face the US at the World Cup.

FairPoint met with Marc Dos Santos, the third head coach in LAFC history, and spoke about the 2026 Major League Soccer season and beyond. Having signed Hwang In-beom as Vancouver Whitecaps head coach in 2019, Dos Santos has also coached Kim Moon-hwan in 2022 as an assistant to Steve Cherundolo and has been working with Son Heung-min since last year.

FairPoint's very own Steve Han and Junu Lee met with legendary goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is entering his third season in MLS with LAFC.

A former World Cup-winning captain for France, Lloris spoke to us about how he developed his leadership qualities, which started in 2012 when Laurent Blanc appointed him as the national team captain at age 23. Lloris went on to lead France as the captain until 2022. At club level, he skippered Tottenham from 2022 to 2023.

Now 39, Lloris also talked about the "bust-up" between him and his longtime teammate Son Heung-min in 2020.

Links

⁠⁠FairPoint YouTube⁠⁠

⁠⁠FairPoint Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠FairPoint Ultimate Directory⁠⁠

⁠⁠Steve Han's Work⁠⁠

⁠⁠Steve Han X / Twitter⁠⁠

⁠⁠Junu Lee Bluesky⁠⁠

⁠⁠Steve Han Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠Junu Lee Instagram

(3:48) South Africa's position in world football

(7:39) Mazola's take on Hugo Broos

(15:36) S. Africa's reaction to World Cup draw

(22:14) Hugo Broos' impact on Bafana Bafana

(29:07) South Africa's tactical framework

(35:01) Mokoena, South Africa's key man

(39:18) Bafana Bafana's defensive prowess

(50:22) Who should Korea look out for?

For the first time ever, South Korea and South Africa will face each other at the FIFA World Cup this summer in Monterrey, Mexico. We connected with Mazola J. Molefe, one of the best football reporters covering South Africa national team, famously nicknamed Bafana Bafana, and the South African Premiership. Mazola took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about the recent AFCON disappointment for South Africa, how Hugo Broos has saved the floundering team, and much more.

Currently a reporter for public broadcast network SABC in South Africa, Mazola has covered football in Africa for nearly two decades. His assignments range from Bafana Bafana to domestic football in South Africa to the CAF Champions League. He spoke with our very own Steve Han and Junu Lee to talk about the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the US.

Mazola J. Molefe

⁠Instagram

Tik Tok⁠

⁠X / Twitter⁠

Mazola's YouTube Channel

Behind The Boot Podcast

***

Other Links

⁠FairPoint YouTube⁠

⁠FairPoint Instagram⁠

⁠FairPoint Ultimate Directory⁠

⁠Steve Han's Work⁠

⁠Steve Han X / Twitter⁠

⁠Junu Lee Bluesky⁠

⁠Steve Han Instagram⁠

⁠Junu Lee Instagram

(4:03) Expectations for Mexico

(15:53) Mexicans abroad struggling?

(19:16) What Mexico expects from Korea

(21:52) How Korea and Mexico match up

(28:16) What's up with Hirving Lozano?

(31:46) Is Guadalajara's altitude a myth?

(39:26) Sonny vs. Mexico

To learn about what Korea will face in Mexico at the FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer, there's no one better than Jon Arnold to give us the best insight on what to expect.

Formerly Goal's North America correspondent, Jon has been a dear friend and is one of the region's most respected football writer, as he has now covered CONCACAF for more than a decade. Be sure to check out his newsletter Getting CONCACAFed.

Steve Han and Junu Lee connected with Jon to talk about Mexico, the World Cup host and also Korea's Group A opponent this summer. From Edson Alvarez's struggles at Fenerbahce to Mexico's expectations against Korea to the "myth" behind playing at higher altitude in Guadalajara, where Korea will play two matches in Group A, we covered it all with Jon.

Jon Arnold

Getting CONCACAFed Newsletter

JonArnoldFC Tik Tok

X / Twitter

Bluesky

JonArnoldFC Instagram

***

Other Links

FairPoint YouTube

FairPoint Instagram

FairPoint Ultimate Directory

Steve Han's Work

Steve Han X / Twitter

Junu Lee Bluesky

Steve Han Instagram

Junu Lee Instagram

Kevin welcomes on filmmaker Emanuel Han, creative director Josh Lee, and art director Ray An to discuss their ambitions in developing Korea, Away, a video series exploring the Korean diaspora through the lens of KNT support.

They assess the global state of Korean culture beyond football, and consider how far it's come since 2002. The gyopo lads muse over the diasporic journey especially in tandem with supporting the Korean national team, and outline one of their clear goals with Korea Away: to document as many of those stories as they can next summer.

Korea, Away have currently been fundraising to develop a video series exploring the Korean diaspora through the lens of Korean football fandom.

They will be traveling to the World Cup to document their story, which will begin in Guadalajara, Mexico. This is a call to all Korean football supporters: the Korea, Away team wants to hear from you if you'd like to share your story.

Contact info below:

Korea Away

[email protected]

IG: https://www.instagram.com/korea.away/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emanuelhahn/korea-away?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Josh Lee

https://www.instagram.com/joshspice/

Ray An Rose

https://www.instagram.com/rrosefromconcrete/

Emanuel Hahn

https://www.instagram.com/hahnbo/

Meeja Richards

https://www.instagram.com/nicetomeeja/

Kevin Kim

X / Twitter: https://x.com/tuh0n

FairPoint

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fairpointfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairpointfootball/

Kevin and Steve are back to review what's been a big year not only for Korean football but also the FairPoint channel.

Yoon Do-young, the teen on loan at Excelsior, spoke with the crew recently, and the two dive into what the Brighton youngster shared in his interview.

Following is a look into the current state of Korean football culture. Alluding to the Steve's chat with John Duerden in the prior episode, Kevin and Steve analyze a culture symptomatic of a cultural issue, rather than a generational one, in regards to Korean football, the national team, and the FA's evolution.

The two wrap up by reviewing the national team and look into their chances of qualifying out of their group (they should).

FairPoint

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fairpointfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairpointfootball/

Steve Han

Portfolio: https://linktr.ee/realstevescores

X / Twitter: https://x.com/realstevescores

Kevin Kim

X / Twitter: https://x.com/tuh0n

FairPoint host Steve Han is joined by pioneering Asian football writer John Duerden, whose writing since the early 2000s has inspired generation of football fans across Asia. John has been telling stories of Asian and Korean football for three decades now.

An author of four books, John's journalistic work can be found in The Guardian, BBC, ESPN, World Soccer, and AP just to name a few. Also, check out his Substack, How Football Explains Asia. We connected with John to talk about the perennially tumultuous state of Korean football.

(3:32) John's relationship with Korea

(7:45) Korea under Hong Myung-bo

(11:16) Japan, the best team in Asia?

(15:53) How has Korean football changed?

(20:26) The KFA mess and Korean football's deeper issues

(26:47) "The KFA is the product of Korean culture"

(33:48) Does Korean football "deserve" success?

(38:02) Hope for Korean football beyond the World Cup

Links to John Duerden's work

How Football Explains Asia via Substack: https://howfootballexplainsasia.substack.com/

The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/johnduerden

X / Twitter: https://x.com/JohnnyDuerden

FairPoint

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fairpointfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairpointfootball/

Steve Han

Portfolio: https://linktr.ee/realstevescores

X / Twitter: https://x.com/realstevescores