[1]Uruguay became the first country to make it into the World Cup quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over South Korea at a sodden Nelson Mandela Bay stadium here on Saturday.
Goals in either half from Luis Suarez earned Uruguay, who last made the quarterfinals in 1970 before finishing fourth, a last eight date with either the United States or Ghana — who play later on Saturday — in Johannesburg on July 2.
South Korea coach Huh Jung-Moo said his players had done their best. “My players never gave up, they were tenacious and rose to the challenge, they showed they were true Koreans,” he said.
In a lively last 16 tie played out at a disappointingly only three-quarters full venue, South Korea almost caught Uruguay on the hop in the fifth minute.
A superbly taken free-kick by Park Chu-Young from 25 yards out curled past the Uruguayan wall only for the ball to ricochet off goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s right post.
Sloppy defending and poor goalkeeping by 2002 semi-finalists South Korea contributed to Uruguay taking control of the game three minutes later.
Edinson Cavani was the instigator of the move, the Palermo forward floating a high ball over to the left for Diego Forlan. The in-form Atletico Madrid striker deftly slipped his marker to drill a slide-rule pass across the Korean goalmouth.
Keeper Jung Sung-Ryong could have dealt with the danger but he seemed strangely lethargic in his reaction and Suarez was lurking unattended to chip into an open goal from a tight angle by the right-hand edge of the box.
Once the South Koreans regained their composure they put together a handful of sharp attacking moves, with Park Chu-Young forcing a diving save out of Muslera.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez made one change in defence after the interval, Mauricio Victorino coming on for Diego Godin. Tabarez’s men had yet to concede a goal in South Africa but they were having their work cut out to keep their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Park Chu-Young missed the target with a close-range volley on 55 minutes and Lazio’s Muslera did well to save captain Park Ji-Sung’s bullet header shortly after.
With the rain teeming down South Korea finally got the breakthrough they deserved in the 68th minute.
Ki Sung-Yueng sent in a high-free kick into the area for Bolton’s Lee Chung-Yong to head home the failed clearance, Uruguay defender Jorge Fucile slithering after the ball into the netting. But 12 minutes later Uruguay were back in front.
A corner taken from the right by Forlan found its circuitous way to Suarez, who then unleashed a brilliant curling right-footed shot from the left-hand corner of the area to leave Jung and his team-mates stunned.
With three minutes to go South Korea almost sent the game into extra time when Muslera failed to hold on to Lee Dong-Gook’s shot.
— AFP
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