Korea Republic 2-0 China PR
Both South Korea and China have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup knockout rounds, so all they were playing for in this match was whether they would play an interesting outfit in Thailand or not.
Fortunately for Korea, they have Son Heung-Min at hand to help deliver a one-sided hiding to China. The Tottenham star made his presence felt throughout Abu Dhabi as his skill pierced through a resolute Chinese defence.
Highlights of the game
The entire Al-Nahyan Stadium had their eyes on one man and one man only. Son Heung-Min has always been the heart and soul of this Korea team and is definitely the man to watch for Marcello Lippi’s China. The talent of the Tottenham star definitely put many SBOBET tips in their favour.
The Taeguk Warriors showed off in the game’s early minutes. Hwang Hee-Chan got through on goal in the game’s early minutes when he caught a long ball inside the penalty box, but Yan Junling was able to make a brilliant save. Kim Min-Jae and Hwang Eui-Jo also had their chances.
China tried all they could to defend and even got into a counter, but the Korean backline was able to stop the Team Dragon’s attacks. The action usually happened at the Chinese half, and Korea’s persistent attacks eventually resulted in a golden opportunity.
A Chinese defender took down Son inside the penalty box. Abdulrahman Al-Jassim was quick to point to the spot despite fiery protests from Yan Junling and the backline. Hwang Eui-Jo took the 14th-minute penalty, and the Gamba Osaka forward stuttered a bit before coolly converting the goal.
The situation wasn’t desirable for the Chinese. They begin to play aggressively, making rough fouls and forcing turnovers to get to the Korean third. However, Kim Seung-Gyu and the Korean defence were more than able to soak the early-game pressure. The experience of beating Germany in the World Cup and winning gold in the Asian Games show in the way the Koreans play.
Both teams tried to score some more goals and advance their respective sides forward, but neither side was able to really threaten the keepers until the end of the first half. If there’s anything that the Chinese supporters in the stadium can be encouraged by, it would be that the Chinese attack looked more dangerous as the half ended.
The struggle of the Chinese national team despite the level of play displayed in the Chinese Super League emphasizes the biggest problem in Chinese football, but Lippi can only make do with what he has at his disposal and try for a two-goal reversal in the second half.
However, his task got bigger when South Korea doubled their lead in the 51st minute. Son Heung-Min launched a super precise corner that went straight to Kim Min-Jae’s head. The Jeonbuk defender headed a bullet of the ball to the near post, catching Yan Junling off-guard.
The Koreans almost scored again when Hwang Eui-Jo beat the offside trap and managed a one-on-one with Yan Junling, but the Shanghai SIPG stopper managed to stop the forward from getting his brace. Wu Xi tried getting a goal back with a brilliant run to the box in the 59th minute, but he wasn’t able to aim his shot as it went wildly off-target. To add insult to injury, he seemingly injured his right thigh in the process.
Hwang In-Beom almost made it three with a beautiful free-kick attempt in the 63rd minute, but Yan Junling managed to stop the ball from going in. Kim Moon-Hwan almost had a whip on it in the 65th minute, but his shot went wide.
The Chinese tried everything they could to at least claw their way back to the game, but South Korea were more than able to handle their high-pressing game plan. Moreover, Son Heung-Min’s gravity as an impact player always keeps them on their toes. On the attack, the Korean defence squandered any of their scoring opportunities.
Hwang Hee-Chan had two fantastic scoring opportunities to add another goal to Korea’s tally by the 75th minute, but he wasn’t able to convert his chances. Those attacks turned out to be the final significant highlights as the game ended with Korea being the 2-0 winners.
Key statistics
Korea secured their spot in the knockout stages after superb AFC Asian Cup 2019 results against Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. They may not top the table when it comes to the goals they scored, but their clean sheets tell of an encouraging tale for them moving forward.
The statistics lived up to AFC Asian Cup 2019 odds despite the match being supposedly the toughest in the group. Korea dominated the ball, having 61 per cent of the possession. They also attempted to shoot the football 17 times, more than double of China’s six.
The Chinese defence was also hapless in front of the Son Heung-Min-led attack: they ceded 14 fouls got carded four times, and Yan Junling had to make six saves to prevent the score from getting bigger.
What’s next?
China will be facing Thailand in the AFC Asian Cup’s Round of 16. Thailand aren’t the most dangerous team to face in the early rounds of the knockout stage as they fell to India by three goals, but the War Elephants managed to draw with Group A winners UAE.
Meanwhile, Korea Republic will be waiting for the Group F games to conclude before they figure out which nation they will face in the knockout rounds. However, Bahrain are their likeliest opponents as they finished the group stage with four points to their name.
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