Hwang strikes last-gasp winner to send South Korea into knockouts
South Korea manager Paulo Bento saw red in the last game against Ghana, meaning the former Portugal player and manager would be absent from the touchline in a match that his side needed to win.
In fact, this fixture was a rematch of Bento’s final game as a Seleção player, in which the Tigers of Asia knocked Portugal out of the 2002 World Cup.
However, there was no chance of that this time, as Fernando Santos rotated his squad, needing just a point to ensure they top Group H.
Santos’ team were quick to draw first blood, edging ahead with under five minutes on the clock.
Diogo Dalot, set free on the right by Pepe, dribbled into the penalty area and pulled back for Ricardo Horta, who smashed in a first-time shot from close range on his major international tournament debut.
South Korea needed to respond, and they had the ball in the net from a corner, but Kim Jin-su was judged to be offside.
However, Kim Young-gwon found himself in an almost identical situation from their next corner, stretching to beat Diogo Costa, and this time the goal stood.
Following the equaliser, pressure switched onto South Korea, and stopper Kim Seung-gyu continued to be key, keeping out powerful strikes from both Dalot and Vitinha.
The Asian side will no doubt have been buoyed at HT by the news that Ghana were two goals behind against Uruguay, but they were unable to conjure up clear chances in a scrappy start to the second half.
Hwang In-beom was able to see a powerful strike saved by Costa, before there were appeals for a penalty when Son Heung-min thought his volley struck the hand of João Cancelo.
With the match going into stoppage time and South Korean chances looking increasingly slim, Son Heung-min raced forward from a Portugal corner and slipped the ball through to substitute Hwang Hee-chan, and the Wolves striker made no mistake, firing into the bottom corner.
The Taegeuk Warriors advanced on goals scored as Uruguay failed to find a third goal against Ghana, and they’ll now face the winners of Group G in the last 16, having won their final group game against European opposition for the second successive World Cup.
The defeat for Portugal will bring back memories of 2002, but this time they qualify regardless, and will look to make it to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (South Korea)
