South Korean national football squad congratulate themselves after winning against Saudi Arabia in the Asiad on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the men's Asiad football match on Wednesday to clinch a berth in the round of 16 at the continental competition.
Winger Kim Seung-dae scored a lucky goal in the first half that went in off an opposing player and South Korea held on for the narrow win at Ansan Wa Stadium in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, south of the Asian Games host city of Incheon.
Last Sunday, South Korea defeated Malaysia 3-0 in the opening Group A contest. With two straight victories, South Korea has secured a spot in the knockout stage with one final group match remaining against Laos on Sunday. The host country is trying to win its first men's football gold in Asiad since 1986.
The victory came at a cost for South Korea, though, as two key offensive players were forced to leave the game with injuries.
Striker Kim Shin-wook came up limping after getting tackled by a defender on a breakaway in the 14th minute. He kept on playing for five more minutes before being replaced by Lee Jong-ho. A national team official said Kim suffered a bruise to his right calf and that the injury didn't appear too serious.
Then in the 27th, winger Yun Il-lok suffered a knee injury in a collision with a Saudi Arabian player, and Lee Yong-jae entered the match in his place. According to the team official, Yun had an injury to the medial collateral ligament on his right knee and was scheduled to meet with doctors later Wednesday.
Before the two players went down, South Korea asserted control early, with Kim Seung-dae wreaking havoc on the Saudi defense.
In the seventh, Kim tried to lob one over the head of goalkeeper Abdullah Faisal Alarraf on a fast break but came up empty. Five minutes later, after taking a quick pass on the left wing, Kim tried to cross for teammates, but the ball went off a foot of a Saudi Arabian and floated into the net, catching Alarraf flat-footed.
Then Kim Shin-wook and Yun went down, taking the wind out of South Korea's sails. The home side then came out with more energy to begin the second half. Lee Yong-jae had a breakaway opportunity in the 50th but shot right at Alarraf.
In the next minute, Kim Seung-dae too had an open chance on the right wing after a floating pass from midfield but couldn't get all of the ball with his volley.
Lee Jong-ho had an even better chance moments later. Lee Yong-jae's low pass from the right side found Lee Jong-ho all alone near the penalty mark, but the shot rolled just wide of the right post.
Kim Young-uk then rang his free kick off the crossbar in the 76th. Two minutes later, Lee Jong-ho's header off a free kick taken by Kim Seung-dae was just kept out by the busy Saudi Arabian goalkeeper.
The Saudi Arabians weren't credited with any shot on goal over the first 82 minutes. Then Raed Abdullah Alghamdi tried to volley home a mediocre South Korean clearing attempt from the top of the arc, and South Korean netminder Kim Seung-gyu was up to the challenge.
Saudi Arabia's physical and at times chippy play led to some testy moments in the second half. Referee Ma Ning handed out five yellow cards to Saudi Arabia, four of them in the second half. (Yonhap)
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