30 Jan 2011

Park retires after Korea finish Asian Cup third

1:37 pm on 30 January 2011

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung was rested from the South Korea football team for their Asian Cup third-place playoff, but the move backfired as the 29-year-old retired from international duty after his side beat Uzbekistan 3-2.

Park won his 100th cap in his team's penalty shoot-out defeat by Japan in the Asian Cup semi-finals in Qatar this week.

But he was left out of the squad for Friday's 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan in the third-place play-off match, with the coach saying he did not want him to pick up an injury.

South Korea survived a fightback from Uzbekistan to book a place at the next tournament in four years' time.

Leading 3-0 after 40 minutes at the Al Sadd Stadium, Uzbek striker Alexander Geynrikh set up a nervy finale by scoring twice, but the Koreans held on in the entertaining match.