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Korea overcame a stubborn Spain, Saturday, to win 5:3 on penalties after neither side were able to score a "golden goal" following their quarterfinal clash ending in a 0:0 draw after normal time. Hwang Sun-hong scored the first penalty, followed by Fernando Hierro for Spain. Park Ji-sung, Ruben Baraja, Seol Ki-hyeon, Xavi, Ahn Jung-hwan all found the net for their respective teams before Joaquin's shot was saved by Lee Woon-jae. Hong Myung-bo then scored, sealing Korea's momentous victory and a semifinal berth against Germany.
Both teams started the first half in a balanced fashion with Anh threatening the Spanish defense in the opening minutes, and Baraja shooting wide with an attempted overhead kick in the 18th minute for Spain. Korea kept up the pressure throughout the opening minutes, but failed to get a breakthrough and as Spain became more composed they began to menace Korea with some fast counterattacks.
Fernando Morientes came the closest to scoring with a 27th minute header that goalkeeper Lee plucked from the air, while Javi de Pedro had a clear chance in injury time, but shot the ball wide. Lee Eul young was brought on for Kim Nam-il in the 32nd minute in an early substitution by coach Guus Hiddink, but failed to make any impact as the first half closed 0:0 with neither side being able to finish several promising moves.
The second half opened with Spain attacking; Joaquin sent in a cross from the right, but Morientes fired wide from close range. Joaquin came close himself in the 59th minute with a shot from just inside the area forcing Lee to make a diving save. Lee Chun-soo was then brought on for Yoo Sang-chul in an attempt to beef up Korea's attack.
Spanish keeper Iker Casillas was called on to make his first save in the 68th minute, after a goal mouth scramble from a corner that saw Park Ji-sung volleying in from six meters; Casillas just got a hand to it conceding a corner.
Gaizka Mendieta substituted for De Pedro in the 70th minute as Korea began to find chinks in Spain's defense and 10 minutes later Enrique Luis came on for Juan Carlos Valeron. Hiddink swapped Hwang Sun-hong for Kim Tae-young in the 90th minute, bringing on another attacker as the match headed for extra time.
Both Lee and Mendieta had shots on goal in three minutes of stoppage, but the respective keepers kept them at bay and the match headed 0:0 to overtime.
Korea attacked strongly in the opening minutes and had the Spanish struggling to clear a curling cross to two unmarked players in the first minute. Spain then apparently scored, but the cross from Joaquin was judged to have been made after the ball had crossed out of play.
The Spaniards brought on Ivan Helguera for Xavi, as a Ahn put a free kick wide of the post. Lee Chun-soo had the next attempt with a curling free kick that was just over the bar. In a seesaw match characterized by Korean pressure and Spanish breakaway attacks, Morientes had the next shot at goal, but despite a deflection Lee got his body behind it.
Morientes nearly sealed Korea's fate in the 100th minute when a volley beat Lee but bounced off the post and back into play. Ahn then found space in the Spanish area but was quickly blocked by the defense as the first period closed.
The second period opened in frenzied style with Korea coming close when a cross from Seol Ki-hyeon beat the defense, though no teammate could reach it. Hwang then shot on goal forcing Casillas into a diving save. Spain then had a free kick that bobbled around the box before being put behind for a corner. Shots by Choi and Luis Enrique closed out the game and it went on to the deciding penalties.
(Chris Price, chris@chosun.com )
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