The Hindu : Park sends Portugal crashing out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 15, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Park sends Portugal crashing out

Korea's Park Ji Sung (left) leaves Portugal's Vitor Baia (right) and Sergio Conceicao (centre) in agony as he celebrates his 71st minute goal in the Group D match on Friday. — AFP

INCHEON (South Korea) June 14. Park Ji-sung shocked nine-man Portugal with a 70th-minute goal on Friday as South Korea won 1-0 and finished top in Group D while eliminating the Portuguese from the World Cup.

The South Korean win also sent the United States, which lost to Poland 3-1 in the other group match, to the round of 16 for the second time in four World Cups.

The co-host plays three-time champion Italy in the second round on Tuesday in Daejeon while the U.S. plays CONCACAF-rival Mexico in Jeonju on Monday. Portugal 0 South Korea 1

Park Ji-sung

Joao Pinto and Beto were both red-carded, one in each half.

``We are very, very disappointed,'' Portugal coach Antonio Oliveira said. ``This is not result we expected when we started World Cup. We did not achieve our goals, which was to go onto the next phases.''

Pinto was dismissed--despite protests from most of the Portuguese players--after smashing into Park with a two-footed challenge from behind. Beto was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 65th minute.

``I want to compliment the Koreans,'' Oliveira said. ``And I want to compliment our players for great job they did tonight. You've got to remember that we played for over an hour with 10 players.''

The winning goal came after Park took a cross from the left, chested the ball down, flicked it around his marker and drove a shot through Portuguese goalkeeper Vitor Baia's legs.

Portugal almost levelled in the last minute when Sergio Conceicao sent a volley onto the post.

South Korea won the group with seven points while the United States finished second with four. Portugal managed just three points, ahead of disappointing Poland on goal difference.

Portugal had the best chance of the first half as Luis Figo split the South Korean defence with a neat through-pass to Pauleta. The Portugal striker advanced to the edge of the area but blasted his shot over with just the 'keeper to beat.

Earlier, South Korea, playing in its sixth World Cup, had Lee Young-pyo blast a shot over the bar from 25-meters (yards) in the fourth minute.

In the 19th minute, Yoo Sang-chul picked up the ball deep in the Portugal half, skipped around his marker and rifled a low shot wide of the right post.

In the second half, Seol Ki-hyeon and Yoo Sang-chul sent headers wide of the right post at the start.

Pauleta nearly grabbed his fourth goal of the tournament, flicking a header on target with the back of his head, but South Korea 'keeper Lee Woon-jae managed to claw the ball over. After the South Korean goal, Portugal had several clear chances to equalize and advance to the second round.

``We also lacked some luck. We had two or three great chances,'' Oliveira said. ``My players did everything possible to score.''

Figo curled a free-kick over the Korean wall from the edge of box, which flew less than a meter wide of the left post. And in the 85th, Fernando Couto flicked the ball onto Nuno Gomez, who fluffed his shot from seven meters (yards), kicking the ball straight into the South Korean keeper's arms.

The teams: Portugal: 1-Vitor Baia; 2-Jorge Costa, 5-Fernando Couto, 7-Luis Figo, 8-Joao Pinto, 9-Pauleta (13-Jorge Andrade, 69), 11-Sergio Conceicao, 17-Paulo Bento, 20-Petit (21-Nuno Gomes, 77), 22-Beto, 23-Rui Jorge, (3-Abel Xavier, 73).

South Korea: 1-Lee Woon-jae; 4-Choi Jin-cheul, 5-Kim Nam-il, 6-Yoo Sang-chul, 7-Kim Tae-young, 9-Seol Ki-hyeon, 10-Lee Young-pyo, 19-Ahn Jung-hwan (14-Lee Chin-soo, 93) 20-Hong Myung-bo (c), 21-Park Ji-sung, 22-Song Chong-gug.

Referee: Angel Sanchez (Argentina).

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport