Uruguay vs South Korea World Cup 2010 Last-16

By now, many fans would certainly have asked, “what makes South Korea looks so damn good in football?”. Well, that question would generate a plethora of answers from ginseng, Korean people's hardworking ethos, taekwondo, and the list goes on and on and on. However, I have to move on from all those almost cliched answers to something simpler. They simply look really good because their opponents let them do become so. The recently concluded match was the substantiation of my analysis. During the last 10 minutes or so of this game, the commentator commented that South Korea was flirting with elimination as they trailed Uruguay 2-1 at that point of time. I think Uruguay should not have done what they did right after each time they take a lead against the Koreans.

Uruguay actually started in an attacking manner and they duly scored early, through a combination of movements from Edinson Cavani, Forlan, and for Luis Suarez to shoot at the empty goal as the South Korean goalkeeper was stranded due to Forlan's low cross prior to the goal. At this point of time, I had expected more goals from Uruguay. However, Uruguay surprisingly decided to sit back and defend. The only attacking move they made was futile long balls towards Diego Forlan up front. It was futile as the long balls were simply dealt with by the tall Korean defenders very easily and the fact that Uruguay concentrated on defending gave plenty of space and thus chances for the Koreans to start attacking their goals. Bad decision by Uruguay because of several reasons firstly, to beat the South Koreans, a team, especially a South American team which is generally known for their multi-barreled attacking options have to make use of this advantage and overwhelm the Koreans. Just like how Argentina managed to do against them from the moment Sergio Aguero entered the fray. The match ended 4-1 for Argentina. Secondly, South American teams are well known to be having their defense, especially their goalkeepers as their weak link. Trying to defend with a not so good defense but an overwhelming attacking threat is simply not a rational decision. Lastly, South Korea is a team full of confidence. They believe they are capable of beating anybody on earth or even outside of it. Thus, give them plenty of chances to make attacking moves like what Uruguay were doing, and it is only a matter of when, not if that they are going to score against your team.

It happened a the 67th minute when Lee Chung Yong scored to make it 1-1. Although it came from an indirect free kick, nevertheless their pressure throughout the match on Uruguay paid off really handsomely. Uruguay were shocked and started to alter their tactics again to an attacking mode. It was also raining very heavily by this point of time in the match. They continued to threaten to score and they did through a marvelous swerving, curling shot by Luis Suarez at the 80th minute when he launched a sweetly struck long shot that curled into the net beautifully. 2-1 for Uruguay. By this time, I thought Uruguay had learned their lessons and continued to attack throughout the game to really kill the game off, just like what Argentina were doing against South Korea in their Group B match. Turned out that Uruguay again switched to the defensive mode and also went as far as subbing the excellent and heroic Luis Suarez with 10 minutes left. Wrong move, South Korea, this time also augmented with a sense of urgency, duly attacked and 10 minutes were more than enough time for South Korea to even score 2 goals if Uruguay is to defend. They were really fortunate not to concede further and was able to hold on to book their ticket to the last 8 as well as sending the Koreans all the way home although South Koreans would argue that the referee blew his full time whistle when there were around 8 seconds left to play and when South Korea were attacking at full speed from the right flank, but that's it.

Despite many people being too occupied and overwhelmed with Suarez's heroics, it masks the fact that Uruguay were so close to being eliminated no thanks to their mistake not to utilize their superiority in the attacking department to overwhelm and choke their opponents to submission while masking their own frailties at the back, especially between the goalposts. Nevertheless, congratulations Uruguay, and credits to the South Koreans for their gallant efforts in the tournament!

Argentina 4-1 South Korea World Cup 2010 Group B

Vamos! Argentina have just become the first country to go through from the Group Stage of the World Cup 2010 thanks to the impressive victory against the unsurprisingly resolute and hard working South Koreans! This victory was down to the sheer genius of Diego Maradona, the Argentina manager who initiated a match defining, masterstroke substitution to kill off any remaining challenge from the South Koreans! To be fair to the South Koreans, they were resolute and looked like equalizing or even overturning the Argentine until the aforementioned genius masterstroke decision from the legend himself! Maradona is also the first manager who deviated from the cowardice 4-5-1 formation to play the brave and attacking 4-4-2 Diamond formation, which is my personal favorite formation of all. Despite this crushing defeat, the South Koreans is pretty much in he competition and likely to join Argentina to go through from Group B. But how hard it would be depends on the match between Nigeria and Greece very soon from the time of writing.

The first half was utterly dominated by Argentina with plenty of pace from Angel di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Jonas Gutierrez, the free role Leo Messi, as well as the hard-working machine like Carlos Tevez who chased for practically for every ball no matter what. Argentina started the match all the way to the highest gear and they really dominated the match, playing the fabled Barcelonaesque football with plenty of pacey and swift dazzling passes on the pitch. Argentina, with their brave formation and attacking style were rewarded soon at the 16th minute when a Messi cross was turned to his own goal by South Korean striker Park Chu-Young. It was a perfect strike from the AS Monaco man, but he scored to the wrong goal. 1-0 to Argentina. At the 20th minute, Walter Samuel needed to be replaced with N. Burdisso, reminiscence to how Philippe Senderos of Suisse needed to be substituted early in the match against Spain. The extent of his injury is not known yet. Argentina domination continued when Higuain scored with a very nice header, the first of many for the night. However, Argentina was totally stunned when a terrible mistake by Martin Demichelis allowed Lee Chung Yong to pull one back right before half time. 2-1.

In the second half, the complexion of the match changed and Argentina were pinned back by South Koreans and the Koreans looked like scoring at anytime as Argentina stuttered, frustrated and started collecting yellow cards for silly reasons. This is despite the commentator stating in the first half that there will be no way back for S. Korea if Argentina is 2-0 up. It was bad as Jonas will also miss the potentially crucial next match against Greece due to a second yellow card in the tournament (if the Koreans managed to hold or defeat Argentina which at that time was a huge possibility). South Korea's goalkeeper Jung Sung Ryong also looked like he won't concede another goal.

However, Maradona showed the world why he's a genius manager when he decided at the 74th minute to replace the out of steam and larely anonymous Tevez in the second half for Sergio Aguero. This is what separates an ordinary manager with a genius manager. An ordinary manager would have brought on Diego Milito in desperation based on his exploits for his club. But, club and country football are two very different things and the fact that Aguero didn't have a good season with Atletico Madrid is irrelevant. One minute later, Aguero made a great run and was greatly involved in the attacking move involving Messi as well with Higuain tapping in after Messi had hit the post. 3-1 for Argentina. At the 80th minute, Aguero was at it again when he assisted Higuain to complete his marvelous hat-trick and utterly destroyed South Korea 4-1. With this, Argentina dominated again and at right after the goal, Higuain came off to be replaced by M. Bolatti the hero against Uruguay in the qualifiers which secured Argentina's qualification into the World Cup for Higuain's well deserved standing ovation. Aguero even managed to almost obtained a well deserved Argentina's 5th goal at the very last minute.

Amazing victory for Argentina, and they have qualified to the last 16 and are on course to even go all the way in the tournament. Now, the aforementioned ban of Jonas Gutierrez is no longer relevant and it is just like he's rested for the now dead rubber match against the Greeks in which Maradona is likely to experiment with his second team with the likes of Martin Palermo for example. For South Korea, this defeat doesn't mean that they won't go through as from their performance between the 45-74th minute, they are more than capable of beating Nigeria and join Argentina to the last 16. Again, how easy it would be for South Korea to go through depends on the upcoming match between Nigeria and Greece. Enjoy!

S. Korea 2-0 Greece World Cup 2010 Group B

It was the opening match for Group B in World Cup 2010 with South Korea facing Greece at the newly built Nelson Mandela bay stadium. Judging from both team's profiles, this match was expected to be a tight and cagey affair with both teams, especially the Greeks employing a defensive and cautious approach, and many including myself had expected this match to end all square with the scoreline of 1-1. Although two goals were indeed scored in the match, it wasn't to be a draw as South Korea snatched a massive 2-0 victory against the Greeks. It was the South Koreans' first victory in the World Cup outside of the Asian continent and also the first time they have won by 2 clear goals in the World Cup. This puts them in a very promising position to also go through from the World Cup Group Stage for the very first time outside of Asia.

Just like what we have seen in 2002, and if that World Cup was controversial (especially for Italians and Spaniards out there), we could even see in 2006 that there's undoubtedly something special in the South Korean squad. They somehow have some kind of winning aura surrounding them. When they play, somehow we know beforehand that they are going to do well in the match, and thus a high chance of getting a victory no matter the opposition. Based on my observation, especially after this victory against Greece, this South Korea team is a very industrious, solid, matured, and they have a really good team chemistry. This group of players almost have some kind of telepathic understanding with one another. Their players such as Park Ji-Sung, Cha Du-Ri, Park Chu-Young just to name three are really skillful and able players. We have seen how at first Jung-Soo scored the first goal with his head and defeating the supposedly bigger and taller Greek defenders. This dispelled the Asian physical inferiority myth. Park Ji-Sung's goal for South Korea's second and killer goal also substantiated the kind of world class player that he is, after leaving two Greek defenders out cold with his dazzling pace and skills as well as leaving the Greek goalkeeper scrambling for nothing more than bits of soil on the ground. The full backs consisting of the striker turned right back Cha Du-Ri and the evergreen Lee Young-Pyo augmenting the South Korean attack perfectly.

In contrast, the Greek team seemed tired, old, and clumsy. A good analogy, especially in conjunction with their style of play would be that they are just like an artillery-worn and crumbling defensive wall. They no longer able to showcase their famed rigid defending which would draw any oppositions into submission such as how they showed the world in their Euro 2004 triumph, let alone showing the world how they were able to win matches by 1-0 scoreline which delivered the Euro trophy as well as shooting them to fame.

The Greeks were leaking goals, and thus it would totally deprived them of their only way to play and win the football game, in which to defend staunchingly until the enemy is worn out and then to score one unexpected goal from either a corner kick or a free kick. Since they were leaking goal, and since they don't really have a plan B, there's no way that Greek could win this game or any football game for that matter. Their lack of a back up plan and ways to get back into the match in general.

Also, if the South Korean players had their way in their barrages towards the Greek goal in the last ten minutes or so, it could have easily been a shameful thrashing by the Koreans. Thus, Greek's World Cup scoring curse continues on as they have yet to find that first goal in the competition.

Now, South Korea is in a great position to go through from Group B as they only need to at least get one more point from the remaining two games, and not to take away anything from Nigeria, but it is attainable to get a point or even more from Nigeria and of course not ruling out an upset against Argentina if they have their way. As for Greece, things look bleak for now unless they are able to overturn their low morale and could formulate a great plan B in time for their remaining two games against Argentina and Nigeria.