Korea 2-1 Togo

The hero of the 2002 World Cup, Ahn Jung-Hwan, came to the rescue again for Korea as they edged out to a 2-1 win.

In the first quarter, both teams played nervously and Korea did not seem to get going with a lot of misplaced passes and no real goalscoring opportunities were created, save for some set-pieces. Goalkeepers for both sides had very little to do until the 31st minute, when Mohamed Kader of Togo fired a great goal into the corner of the net from the right side of the penalty box.

Korea was shocked and started to push upwards in search of an equalizer but it was Togo who almost scored again before halftime when Yao Senaya's curling free kick was tipped over the bar by Lee Woon-jae.

Dick Advocaat (Korea coach) sent on forward Ahn at the start of the second half. His first effort was a wild shot over the bar in the 50th minute as the Koreans finally began to gather some momentum. The turning point came in the 53rd minute when Togo skipper Jean-Paul Yaovi Abalo Dosseh was shown a red card for bringing down Park Ji-sung on the edge of the area. The referee awarded a free kick which was converted by Lee Chun-soo.

The goal sparked a wave of Korean pressure, with Park at last displaying the dazzling runs that made him so popular at Manchester United last season. Togo gallantly went for the win despite being a man down, but they were sunk when Ahn picked up a loose ball and advanced to fire an unstoppable shot past Agassa.

Soccer Pundit thinks the Koreans had a bit of luck in this match but credit to both sides who battled to the end. The hot weather is starting to play a decisive factor for this World Cup as it is apparent a lot of players are struggling with tired legs and dehydration (grabbing water bottles at every opportunity) even before the first half had ended. The team which can still keep its shape and focus right to the end will win...