Pragmatic South Korea eliminate Flying Eagles in quarterfinals

They say football matches are not won by superior possession, but by the number of goals scored and conceded. That was what South Korea proved yesterday when they capitalised on a one minute lack of concentration to beat Nigeria in their quarterfinal game of the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

Nigeria had greater possession, dominated all the areas except the most crucial portion, South Korea’s penalty box, as the Asians wielded a well-knit guard at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Argentina.

The match was tipped to offer fireworks because both teams showed at the group stage that they have players capable of wreaking havoc on opponents. However, the Nigerians showed a high level of timidity unexpected of a team that defeated Italy and Argentina on their way to the last 16 of the competition.

There was nothing to excite neutral fans in the regular period, as both teams showed a lack of purpose in decisive moments at the opponent’s rear. But everything changed two minutes into added time. It was an innocuous ball, played out of touch by Benjamin Frederick for Korea’s first corner of the game. But the Asians made the best of it, as Choi Seok-Hyun rose high to nod in the inswinger delivered by Lee Seung Won.

The goal roused the Flying Eagles to action, but for all their labour, they found their opponents’ defence a wall too hard to break through. The Flying Eagles won five corner kicks to South Korea’s one, but only managed to test Korea’s goalkeeper just once.

Emmanuel Umeh had two chances late on to grab a much-deserved equaliser for Nigeria, but he fluffed his lines as the Ladan Bosso’s lads once again exit the U-20 World Cup at the quarterfinal stage.

The team also fell in the quarterfinal stage to Chile in 2007