Dogged Korea hold Uruguay to 0-0 draw

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Published: 25 Nov. 2022, 00:35 Updated: 25 Nov. 2022, 11:26

Dogged Korea hold Uruguay to 0-0 draw

Son Heung-min in action during a 2022 Qatar World Cup Group H match against Uruguay at Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar on Thursday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea held Uruguay to a 0-0 draw at Education City Stadium in Qatar on Thursday, taking a solid one point against the higher-ranked team despite looking for much of the match like they had the potential to go further.

Captain Son Heung-min and veteran defender Kim Jin-su played the entire 90 minutes despite both returning from injuries this week. Na Sang-ho filled in for injured midfielder Hwang Hee-chan, with the rest of the Taeguk Warriors lineup drawn straight out of the regular Paulo Bento playbook.

Korea stuck with the typical Bento approach throughout the match, building attacks slowly from the back and using all 10 players to mount a gradual creeping offensive, an approach that was equal parts successful and frustrating to watch.

Opportunities on goal, however, were few and far between. Hwang Ui-jo set the only real first half chance soaring over the bar, while a Hwang In-beom punt from some distance provided a bit of excitement if nothing else.

Hwang Ui-jo, left, misses a chance to score during a World Cup Group H match against Uruguay at Education City Stadium in Qatar on Thursday. [AP/YONHAP]

Son, playing in his distinctive Zorro mask, looked perhaps slightly off his game, a little timid in his first touches and a little slower than he normally would be. A few solid shots on goal ended up edging slightly wide, but on the whole he wasn’t able to offer the lethal accuracy he’s best known for.

At the other end of the pitch, Kim Seung-gyu worked in tandem with his own goalposts to keep any effort away, saving the majority of shots on his own but getting a little help from the woodwork on two occasions.

Bento made a change in the 75th minute, bringing on the youngsters in the form of fan-favorite Lee Kang-in and K League top scorer Cho Gue-sung, as well as former K League MVP Son Jun-ho.

Korea's Lee Kang-in, right, in action with Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez during a Group H game at the 2022 Qatar World Cup at Education City Stadium in Qatar on Thursday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The change was instant, with both Lee and Cho quickly lighting a fire under Korea’s offense with a very obvious influx of energy, although even the fancy-footed young players could do little to break through the Uruguayan defense.

Uruguay doubled down in the dying few minutes of the game, hammering a last few attacks at the Korean goal and earning an injury time corner, but Kim stayed resolute at the back and held off until the final whistle blew with the score still at 0-0.

Cho Gue-sung, right, fights for the goal against Uruguay's defender Matias Vina during a 2022 Qatar World Cup Group H match between Uruguay and Korea at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on Thursday. [AFP/YONHAP]

With the scoreless draw, Korea have now gone two consecutive World Cup games without conceding a single goal for the first time in the country’s history, having beaten Germany 2-0 in their final game of the 2018 Russia World Cup.

As of press time, eight teams have now drawn their opening games at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the most in the tournament’s history.

Korea will next face Ghana on Nov. 28, before playing Portugal in their final group stage game on Dec. 2.

At No. 61, Ghana is the lowest-ranked team in Group H, well below Korea’s No. 28. Uruguay is No. 14 and Portugal leads the group at No. 9. But rankings don’t tell the whole story — Portugal only qualified for Qatar through the European playoffs after failing to do well enough during regular qualifiers.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

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Dogged Korea hold Uruguay to 0-0 draw

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