WM collector day 13
South Korea duped Ronaldo and is in the World Cup round of 16 – Uruguay with great anger at referee Siebert
Off to the eighth final: South Korea’s Younggwon Kim celebrates his goal to make it 1-1 against Portugal, and in the end it’s even 2-1
© Robert Michael / DPA
South Korea beat Portugal in the last group game and has qualified for the round of 16. The Portuguese had already qualified beforehand. Uruguay lacked a goal to progress against Ghana.
South Korea 2-1 Portugal
Outsiders South Korea thwarted superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of Eusébio’s goal record and surprisingly made it into the World Cup round of 16. The two-time Asian champions defeated favorites Portugal, who had already qualified for the knockout stage, 2-1 (1-1) in the last World Cup group game on Friday, taking second place ahead of Uruguay and Ghana. For the South Koreans, who made the next coup by an Asian team the day after Japan’s victory over Spain, it was only the third round of 16 in eleven World Cup appearances.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who stumped off the field when he was substituted in Qatar, has failed to score again and is a goal behind his legendary compatriot Eusébio in the World Cup tally. However, winning the group was not in jeopardy for Ronaldo and company, which means that the Portuguese will take the supposedly easier route in the knockout stages of the finals in Qatar.
Young-Gwon Kim (27) equalized the early Portuguese opening goal by Ricardo Horta (5th minute), before Hee-Chan Hwang (90+2) sent the South Koreans into a frenzy late on in front of 44,097 spectators at Education City Stadium.
Uruguay 2-0 Ghana
Luis Suárez was crying on the bench minutes before the final whistle. Like Ghana, Uruguay failed in the fight for the World Cup round of 16. The South Americans won again after the Africans missed a penalty, but nobody was happy about that. Twelve years after the legendary quarter-finals in Johannesburg, the Celeste this time won 2-0 (2-0) in Al-Wakra against Otto Addo’s Ghanaians in the last preliminary round match, but that didn’t bring her anything. Suárez was stunned to see South Korea’s 2-1 winner over Portugal after being substituted; his own team couldn’t keep up.
In front of a crowd of 43,443, Flamengo Rio de Janeiro’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta fired a brace (26th and 32nd minutes) from previously winless and goalless Uruguay to an ultimately meaningless win. Ghana, on the other hand, missed the great opportunity to make World Cup history as the third African team after Morocco and Senegal by reaching the round of 16.
Suárez, who had become the enemy of many Ghanaians in 2010, provided the preparatory work for Uruguay’s first goal at this World Cup. Twelve years ago, the then 23-year-old prevented an almost certain goal from Ghana on the goal line with his hands just before the end of extra time in the quarter-finals and was sent off for it. However, Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty for the Black Stars, who failed on penalties. “It’s not a revenge for me, it’s a normal game,” said Ghana coach Addo before the two teams met again in Al-Wakra.
After the game, German referee Daniel Siebert had to defend himself against angry Uruguayans and quickly left the pitch. From the point of view of the South Americans, Siebert denied them a penalty twice.