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This is an archive article published on July 23, 2003

Hiddink the winner at Peace tourney

Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven lifted the Peace Cup pre-season tournament on Tuesday but their coach Guus Hiddink was the real winner, once a...

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Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven lifted the Peace Cup pre-season tournament on Tuesday but their coach Guus Hiddink was the real winner, once again, with South Korea’s ever-enthusiastic fans.

A first-half penalty from Mark van Bommel gave PSV the $2million prize against French champions Olympique Lyon in a match that looked as if it was being played in a rice paddy field rather than Asia’s largest soccer-only stadium.

It was in the stadium where South Korea’s incredible World Cup run under Dutchman Hiddink ended when they lost in their World Cup semi-final to Germany last year — still the furthest any Asian side has gone in the tournament. ‘‘I had the experience and joy from last year. It was not in the same measure as last year but it was a nice memory to come back,’’ Hiddink told reporters. ‘‘Being here now playing football in this stadium, in this country, I enjoyed it very much,’’ he said. Most of the fans seemed to be cheering for PSV, including a block of Koreans behind one goal in PSV kit where the South Korean ‘Red Devil’ fans would normally stand for an international.

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