Another much-fancied squad has underperformed in the early rounds of the World Cup. South Korea held South American powerhouse Uruguay to a 0-0 draw on Thursday, a result that likely favored the Asian squad.
South Korea holds Uruguay to a 0-0 draw
The tie at Education City Stadium was yet another early World Cup encounter that ended in a surprise. Argentina and Germany both suffered significant upsets in their first matches. South Korea, with striker Son Heung-min wearing a mask to cover a fractured left eye socket, seemed to have a better chance of scoring against the more experienced Uruguayans. The South Koreans were faster, pressing from the start. In support of Son, some South Korean supporters donned Batman masks.
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In a game with few clear scoring chances, Uruguay had the greatest opportunities: Diego Godin struck the post with a header in the 43rd minute and Federico Valverde hit it in the 89th. Uruguay will play Portugal next in Group H, while South Korea will face Ghana. South Korea attacked from the outset, and Son enthralled the spectators with every touch of the ball. However, he barely managed one frightening assault in the first half and much less in the second.
South Korea has always appeared to be faster than Uruguay, but not necessarily more dangerous. The team’s greatest chance came in the 34th minute when Hwang Ui-jo hit the crossbar from close range. Uruguay continued to have more possession as the half progressed, but they always appeared more cautious, taking less initiative despite having the more experienced players.
Son collapsed in a heap early in the second half, prompting Martin Caceres to get the game’s first yellow card. Uruguay coach Diego Alonso substituted Edinson Cavani for Luis Suarez in the 64th minute as the game slowed until Valverde hit the crossbar in the final minutes.
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