Uruguay 0-0 South Korea: South Americans denied by strong Korean defence
James Davis covers an exciting goalless draw in World Cup Group H, as Uruguay and South Korea failed to score.
Uruguay and South Korea played out a 0-0 draw at the Education City Stadium in the opening game of Group H, as a match featuring plenty of attacking play saw very little quality.
Early chances went begging for both sides, with Hwang Ui-Jo and Diego Godín both too imprecise to steer their first-half efforts goalwards.
A frantic final ten minutes saw chances for both sides, Federico Valverde hitting the woodwork with a thunderous strike from 25 yards, but neither side had registered a shot on target by the full-time whistle.
A lively first 45 minutes in which the ball was rarely out of play saw just one minute of added time – the least of any half so far this World Cup.
South Korea were the more creative of the two sides, with Kim Moon-Hwan and Na Sang-Ho frequently linking up well down the right-hand side to feed Hwang Ui-Jo on the occasion of his 50th cap.
Uruguay looked strong on the counter-attack, as well as from set pieces, but generally looked less fluid than their Asian opposition, with both sides having 50% possession and one big chance apiece when the half-time whistle blew.
Just after the half-hour mark, Kim Moon-Hwan found Hwang Ui-Jo with a well-weighted cross, but the Nottingham Forest man fired over from just ten yards out.
In the 44th minute, Godín rose above the Korean defence to flick on a precise corner, but his effort was met by the left upright.
Godín also featured in the best move of Uruguay’s second half, feeding Darwin Núñez for a fast break down the left-hand side of the pitch.
Núñez carried the ball dangerously into the box, but the threat quickly dissipated after Kim Seung-Gyu gathered his lacklustre cross in the direction of Luis Suárez.
South Korea’s second half lacked the attacking threat they had displayed in first 45 minutes, but resolute defending prevented Uruguay from taking anything more than a point from the game.
Late chances for Núñez and Edinson Cavani went begging, and Valverde struck the outside of the post with a long-range effort with under five minutes to play before Son Heung-min dragged a similarly distant chance of his own wide after a Sergio Rochet error.
In a game where both sides had strong periods of possession without any major attacking threat, a goalless draw was a fair result. Both sides will be in action again on Monday 28 November, as the Taeguk Warriors take on Ghana, and La Celeste face Portugal.
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