Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:54 am Post subject: Korea blanks Iran in soccer friendly
Dick Advocaat's reign as national team coach got off to a perfect start as South Korea defeated Iran 2-0 with an energetic display in Seoul with goals from Cho Won-hee in the first minute and Kim Jin-kyu in the last.
Much of the talk pre-match had been focused on the fact that the Dutchman had selected Park Ji-sung as the right-sided player of an attacking trio featuring Park Chu-young on the opposite side and Lee Donggook in the middle.
However, it was the left that was the source of the first goal and it came as early as the opening minute.
Kim Dong-jin floated in a cross that was headed out by an Iranian defender but only as far as Cho Won-hee who drilled the ball home from the right side of the penalty box, though a deflection helped the shot from the Suwon Samsung Bluewings right midfielder fly past the despairing Ebrahim Mirzapour in the Iranian goal.
South Korea, looking for revenge for the 4-3 defeat it suffered at the quarterfinal stage of the Asian Cup the last time these two met in July 2004, continued to push forward and striker Lee Dong-gook saw his shot blocked on the line after 15 minutes.
Just before the half-hour, Cho Won-hee, who was buzzing down the right side released Park Chu-young on goal but the 2004 Young Asian Player of the Year seemed to let fly to early from and dragged his shot wide.
The visitors, with Asian Player of the Year Ali Karimi playing just behind the lone striker Vahid Hashemian, had few clear-cut chances in the first half and were frustrated by energetic and tenacious tackling from the 2002 World Cup semifinalists that seemed to be more at home in a vital competitive match than a supposed friendly.
The Bayern Munich's probable successor as the recipient of the continental prize, Park Jisung, was roared to the rafters by a passionate crowd of 61,000 every time he touched the ball and he responded by chasing every lost cause and covering every blade of grass in Seoul's World Cup Stadium.
Five minutes after the restart, Iran's defender Rahman Rezaei went close with a header as Iran, also looking to prepare for the 2006 World Cup, pressed for an equalizer.
Just three minutes later Karimi showed what he is capable of as the Bayern Munich star made room for himself just outside the penalty box before shooting just wide.
A flurry of substitutions from both sides around the hour mark drew the sting out of the game a little, not that South Korea was complaining as the team was more in need of a positive outcome than their opponents after a summer of poor results.
There was still time for Iran to worry South Korea and Arash Borhani should have done better with a header in the 79th minute and skipper Yahya Golohammadi almost connected on the end of a free-kick three minutes later but couldn't get a shot at goal.
South Korea sealed the win with a breakaway goal with a minute remaining as defender Kim Jin-kyu's shot was deflected over the Iranian keeper by his own defender Rahman Rezeai to send everyone home happy.
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