South Korea squeezed past Uzbekistan 1-0 in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, taking a huge step toward another appearance at the quadrennial tournament.
On the rainy night at Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea built a first-half lead on an own goal by Uzbekistan and hung on for dear life for the crucial victory.
South Korean players celebrate their victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday. Yonhap News
The win kept South Korea at the top of Group A with 14 points, three better than Uzbekistan. Iran, which has 10 points in third place, was to play Lebanon early Wednesday in Korean time.
If Iran loses to Lebanon, South Korea will automatically advance to the World Cup finals. If Iran wins against Lebanon, South Korea will need at least a draw against Iran in an encounter scheduled for next Tuesday in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Only the top two nations in each of the two groups in the final qualification round will earn automatic tickets to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Two third-place teams will clash in a playoff for the right to play a South American opponent in the final international playoff.
In Tuesday's match, South Korea took the lead on an Uzbekistan own goal in the 42nd minute, as defender Akmal Shorakhmedov headed in a cross by Kim Young-gwon past Ignatiy Nesterov.
The inadvertent play broke the deadlock between evenly matched squads.
Earlier in the match, Lee Keun-ho missed an easy chance for the home side in the 19th. Son Heung-min found the charging winger with a nifty setup but Lee sent the ball wide of the far post from point blank range.
Four minutes later, Ulugbek Bakaev launched a midrange strike for Uzbekistan, forcing South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to make the diving save.
Bakaev threatened again in the 27th, but he headed a Server Djeparov cross high and wide of the bar.
In the 41st, South Korea almost got on board on its own. National team rookie Lee Myoung-ju took a headed pass from Kim Shin-wook but Nesterov made a diving save.
Uzbekistan tried to equalize in the 54th, but Timur Kapadze's shot traveled above the bar.
After a quiet stretch, South Korea kept the Uzbek defenders on their heels midway through the first half. In the 67th, Son Heung-min undressed two defenders in the box but his low shot went off a third defender. Kwak Tae-hwi headed the ensusing corner taken by Kim Chi-woo, but Nesterov made a huge punching save.
In the very next minute, Kim Shin-wook put his head on another corner, forcing Nesterov to make yet another stop.
South Korea then successfully fended off the late Uzbekistan charge for its fourth victory in seven matches in the final qualification round. (Yonhap News)