South Korea needs a win to have a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup. Opponent Portugal is already ahead – and can be taken by surprise in added time. Superstar Heung-min Son successfully dribbles and plays the pass into luck. Because Uruguay despairs in the parallel game.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates were only second choice this time, South Korea gratefully accepted the template: Against a 1-B selection from Portugal, the Asians and their Portuguese coaching team managed the much-needed victory in almost the last minute, with the 2-1 (1st minute). :1) against the 2016 European champions he was just the right amount compared to Uruguay. South Korea moves into the round of 16 as group runners-up behind Portugal.
The late call-up Ricardo Horta gave Fernando Santos’ team an early lead (5th), who lost to Uruguay in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. South Korea then equalized through Young-Gwon Kim (27th). The golden shot then came from Hee-Chan Hwang (90.1) after an impressive solo run from Heung-min Son, who started on the halfway line and slotted the scorer through. It was a rare victory: Of the past eleven World Cup games, the 2002 World Cup fourth-placed had only won the decisive group game in 2018 against Germany.
Portugal had already qualified for the round of 16, so coach Fernando Santos took the liberty of making six changes to his squad. Of course, Ronaldo was spared the rotation. Among the beneficiaries was Horta, who came to his seventh this time eight years after his first cap and six months after his second. He made the best of it.
South Korea? Had to come up with something now. Strictly speaking, assistant coach Sergio Costa. Because head coach Paulo Bento, Portuguese, former national player and Portugal national coach from 2010 to 2014, was sitting in the stands: After the 2: 3 against Ghana, referee Anthony Taylor, whom he had assaulted and yelled at, was the first coach in World Cup history to have him with him punished with a red card.
In any case, Costa’s instructions after the deficit bore fruit. South Korea upped the tempo but were lucky enough to equalize as the ball bounced off Ronaldo’s back from a corner and fell at goalscorer Kim’s feet.
The equalizer seemed to put the Portuguese back on their feet. However, the 1-B selection lacked the creativity of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. Ronaldo was rarely placed in a dangerous position, but a diving header came close to scoring a goal that would have put him on par with the legendary Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer (9) (42′).
Ronaldo was then allowed off the field after 65 minutes, but had to watch as his team-mates finally gave up the game. South Korea pushed for the much-needed winning goal, but for a long time there was a lack of power and precision at the end. But then came Hwang.
