PORTUGAL FACE FIRED-UP SOUTH KOREA
South Korea let their emotions pour out when they lost a five-goal thriller to Ghana earlier this week, but they can expect no sympathy tonight (11pm, Hong Kong time) from Portugal, who are determined to clinch top spot in their group.
South Korea must beat the 2016 European champions – as they did at the 2002 World Cup on home soil – and hope that the result of the other final Group H match between Ghana and Uruguay goes their way too. Striker Son Heung-min was in tears after Monday’s 3-2 loss to Ghana and coach Paulo Bento was shown a red card for arguing with the referee after he blew the final whistle with his team set to take a corner. Bento will not be on the bench against Portugal.
Assistant coach Sergio Costa said South Korea would bounce back from their disappointment. “We clearly deserved a win,” Costa said. “Count on us for the next match.”
South Korea have only one point after drawing their opener against Uruguay and must beat Portugal to have any chance of progressing. At the World Cup 20 years ago, South Korea beat a 10-man Portugal – whose team included Bento – in their final group game. The result meant Portugal did not qualify for the next round while the Koreans went on a run that took them to the semi-finals.
In the simultaneous Group H match, Uruguay must beat Ghana to go through and will need to fire up their big-name forwards and shake off some dire form that saw them held by South Korea and outclassed by Portugal. Veteran strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani and talented newcomer Darwin Nunez all struggled in their opening matches, and coach Diego Alonso must choose whether to keep faith with them or opt for Facundo Pellistri and Maxi Gomez, who have provided Uruguay’s few moments of excitement.
If Ghana play for a draw they will be gambling on alreadyqualified Portugal beating South Korea. For the Black Stars, a win could avenge an acrimonious 2010 quarter-final defeat by Uruguay, when Suarez used his hand to block an extra-time winner for Ghana, who missed the resulting spot kick and lost in a penalty shoot-out.