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| Friday, June 1, 2001 20:00 EST |
South Koreans win in 90th minute
[Reuters]
ULSAN, South Korea -- Co-hosts South Korea
attacked for almost the entire second half and eventually got
the perfect reward when they beat Mexico 2-1 with a last-minute
winner Friday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the
Confederations Cup semifinals.
Headers from Sun-hong Hwang, after 57 minutes, and Sang-chul
Yoo, the second the clock hit the 90-minute mark, gave the
Koreans victory after cup-holders Mexico looked to have done
enough to earn a point with an 80th-minute free-kick from
substitute Victor Ruiz.
Yoo, in fact, played the entire second half with a broken
nose following a clash with Mexico's Jared Borgetti.
A draw would have proved scant justice for Guus Hiddink's
men who regained their pride with a gutsy, attacking performance
in stark contrast to their abject display in losing 5-0 to
France in their opening Group A match in Taegu on Wednesday.
This victory means that, if they can beat Australia in their
final group match in Suwon on Sunday and Mexico draw or beat
France in Ulsan, South Korea will reach the last four.
Dutch coach Hiddink said he was delighted with his team's
comeback after the shattering loss in their opening match.
"I am very happy about the way we played tonight because we
lost all our confidence after we went 2-0 down against France," he said.
"We created at least four or five good scoring chances here
and that is very good at this level against a team like Mexico.
We also showed that we are a good attacking side, the goals
proved that."
Mexican coach Enrique Meza Enriquez was not quite so
enthusiastic.
"Our passing was poor, especially in the first half, and if
we want to come back here for the World Cup next year, we must
improve. We created some good chances, but could have done much
better."
Mexico, who won this competition in 1999, have now lost
three times in the last seven days against England (0-4),
Australia (0-2) and to the Koreans and, with no points from
their two matches, are eliminated.
The main bright spot for them came before the match started
when skipper Claudio Suarez was awarded with a special armband
and trophy by FIFA for becoming the world's most capped player
on his 158th appearance for his country.
After a relatively cagey opening period, in which both sides
still managed to come forward in search for goals, South Korea
should have gone ahead after 32 minutes when Do-hoon Kim was
guilty of over-elaborating in front of Oswaldo Sanchez's goal
and wasted a golden opportunity created by Jong-su Park and
goalscorer Hwang.
That was one of several chances South Korea wasted but they
were allowed to create so much as they dominated the midfield
because of some woeful Mexican approach play with passes
constantly over- or under-hit or handed straight to the
opposition.
Eventually Mexico were punished for their carelessness and
the Koreans took a well-deserved lead after 57 minutes when
Hwang rose to meet a pinpoint cross from Sung-yong Choi and
power an accurate header past goalkeeper Sanchez.
They almost doubled their lead a minute later after a
brilliant weaving slalom through the Mexican defense by Kim
ended with the ball being half-cleared and Yoo missing with a
header from a yard out.
Mexico almost equalized when Antonio de Nigris forced
Woon-jae Lee into a point-blank reaction save from a five-meter volley after 78 minutes -- but two minutes later they finally
got the better of him.
Ruiz, who replaced Juan Pablo Rodriguez after 61 minutes,
perfectly flighted his free-kick over the wall and Lee could
only palm it into the roof of the net.
With Scottish referee Hugh Dallas looking at his watch,
South Korea struck the winner, Yoo reacting first to a ball
whipped in low from the left and steering his header home for
three well-earned points and a chance of a place in the last
four.
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