South Korea holds Uruguay to 0-0 draw at World Cup

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — One other favored crew has didn’t impress within the early levels of the World Cup.

This time it was South Korea holding South American energy Uruguay to a 0-0 draw on Thursday, a consequence that in all probability favors the Asian crew.

The draw at Training Metropolis Stadium was one more early World Cup match with a shocking consequence. Argentina and Germany each misplaced their opening video games in main upsets. This one hinted at being one other.

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Uruguay coach Diego Alonso stated he was glad, and so did South Korea counterpart Paulo Bento. Alonso sounded much less convincing.

“I’m very happy with the consequence,” Alonso stated. “I’m certain that this group stage can be decided by the final match. Everyone knows the second recreation is vital, and so is the third one. However this won’t have an effect on whether or not we qualify of not.”

Uruguay will subsequent face Portugal in Group H whereas South Korea performs Ghana, with each video games on Monday. The highest two groups within the group will advance to the spherical of 16.

South Korea, with ahead Son Heung-min carrying a masks to guard a damaged left eye socket, all the time regarded the extra prone to rating in opposition to the extra skilled Uruguayans. The South Koreans had been faster, urgent from the opening whistle.

Many South Korean followers wore Batman-like masks in solidarity with Son, who was injured on Nov. 2 in a Champions League match taking part in for English membership Tottenham. He had a number of early possibilities however appeared to tire within the second half.

“He (Son) had a critical harm,” Bento stated. “He was inactive for a substantial period of time. He might solely get again with the crew within the latest days. And naturally it’s pure after an harm that it’s going to take time a while to adapt. However I feel general we had efficiency.”

In a match with few clear scoring possibilities and South Korea typically in management, Uruguay had one of the best alternatives to attain: Diego Godin hit the submit with a header within the forty third minute and Federico Valverde hit it within the 89th.

Alonso began an attacking line-up with Luis Suarez, Darwin Nunez and Facundo Pellistri up entrance, and with Valverde and Matias Vecino in midfield. However they seldom had the ball initially.

South Korea pressed ahead early and Son excited the group each time he touched the ball, however he managed just one threatening assault within the first half. South Korea all the time regarded faster than Uruguay, however not essentially the extra harmful. The crew’s greatest likelihood got here within the thirty fourth minute when Hwang Ui-jo sailed a close-range try over the crossbar.

Because the second half wore on, Uruguay started to take extra possession however all the time appeared cautious, taking much less initiative regardless of having the extra skilled gamers.

Son went down in a heap early within the second half with Martin Caceres getting the primary yellow card of the match.

Alonso despatched in Edinson Cavani for Suarez in sixty fourth minute because the tempo of the match slowed till Valverde hit the submit within the closing minutes.

“Within the first 20 minutes, we struggled in opposition to Korea,” Alonso stated. “We couldn’t take the ball from them. We couldn’t get any strain and misplaced precision.

“Clearly, the second half we dominated far more. We had been higher than them, I feel, however we lacked a little bit of attacking. I imply attacking extra. We tried to be extra aggressive, too.”