SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea went into halftime scoreless against South Africa on Thursday after a disjointed first half in which they struggled to beat pressure, move the ball through midfield and turn possession into meaningful chances.
South Korea kicked off their final Group A match at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico knowing a draw would be enough to secure second place and a spot in the Round of 32.
Opta’s pre-match model had given South Korea a 59.2 percent chance of winning, more than three times South Africa’s 17 percent. The first half, however, played out nothing like those numbers suggested.
Korea started brightly, using Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Tae-seok to attack down the flanks. An early corner led to a Kim Min-jae header, but South Africa blocked it near goal.
Lee Kang-in then came close in the seventh minute, meeting a cross from the left and sending his shot narrowly wide of the right post.
But South Africa soon settled into the match and began to expose Korea’s weaknesses.
They pressed high, closed off Lee Kang-in’s passing lanes and repeatedly forced mistakes from Korea’s midfield. Hwang In-beom and Paik Seung-ho also struggled under pressure, giving South Africa chances to break quickly.
South Africa looked especially dangerous when attacking the space behind Korea’s right side, where Lee Gi-hyuk was repeatedly tested by pace and long balls.
Around the 14th minute, South Africa looked for tall striker Evidence Makgopa with a cross into the box, but Lee challenged him well enough to prevent a clean header.
Korea had several warnings after that.
In the 18th minute, South Africa broke forward at speed, only for Lee to block the danger with his body. A minute later, South Africa recycled a corner into a long-range shot that went straight to goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
Another second-ball chance came around the 29th minute, again forcing Kim into a save. Korea escaped, but the sequence showed how fragile their defensive balance had become.
At the other end, Korea’s attacks became predictable.
Lee Tae-seok continued to overlap on the left, but his crosses lacked accuracy and repeatedly ended in goal kicks or clearances. Hwang Hee-chan’s long-range effort in the 34th minute also flew well wide.
South Africa, meanwhile, appeared well prepared for Lee Kang-in’s left foot. His passes were cut out several times, and Korea failed to find a reliable route into the final third.
The half ended 0-0 after South Africa’s final corner in stoppage time came to nothing.
South Korea are still on course to advance if the score holds, but the first half left Hong Myung-bo’s side needing a sharper response after a performance that was far below expectations.
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