Newsgroup: it.fan.studio-vit
Titolo: www.hankooki.com/times/200206/t2002062219231040110.htm

Glory, Glory, South Korea!
By Eoghan Sweeney
Chief Football Writer
- Cometh the moment, cometh the man.-
It was only a single strike of a ball following 120 minutes of intense
effort by the entire team, but with a place in the World Cup semifinals
resting on a single spot-kick, there could hardly be any player an entire
nation would want more to take that responsibility than Hong Myung-bo.
Playing in his fourth World Cup, Hong must have known that extending his
international career might depend on getting the ball past Iker Casillas.
He did, and with the cool elegance so loved by a generation of South Korean
fans.
Lee Woon-jae's stop from Joaquin moments earlier set the home side up to
reach the semifinals after a battling performance saw the two teams
scoreless at the end of extra-time.
Under pressure for long periods, Guus Hiddink's side put up their
stubbornest defensive display so far, and emerged with the reward their
efforts throughout the World Cup have deserved.
With two days' less rest than their opponents, the major worry for South
Korea was that they would finally run out of the energy that characterized
their matches throughout the tournament.
There was certainly a reduction in the intensity of their pressing game,
although a good early spell saw Spain's defense almost opened up several
times.
Seol Ki-hyeon was getting little change out of Puyol on South Korea's left,
but Park Ji-sung's efforts on the opposite flank were making Romero work
harder.
There was a blow for the home side in the 13th minute when Romero came in
over the ball and planted his studs squarely on the shin of Kim Nam-il. The
midfielder, who failed to win a free-kick, hobbled on until the 32nd minute
before being replaced by Lee Eul-yong.
From midway through the half, Spain began to assert themselves, with
Joaquin, on the right winning a series of free-kicks, a number of them
looking somewhat on the charitable side.
A Fernando Morientes header in the 28th minute had Lee Woon-jae scrambling
across to save and colliding with the upright in the process.
Spain's aerial power continued to cause problems and Fernando Hierro twice
went close with headers from De Pedro corners.
The Spanish opened the second half by moving the ball around and holding
possession, clearly trying to tire the opposition. Within four minutes of
the restart, they had the ball in the net, but Morientes, spotted by the
referee climbing on Kim Tae-young, saw his header from Joaquin's free-kick
ruled out.
Another unpunished lunge from behind by Romero in the 57th minute, this time
on Song Chong-gug, saw Guus Hiddink off the bench and tearing his jacket off
in anger.
South Korea managed to rally, and almost took the lead in the 67th minute.
Lee Chun-soo's angled shot ricocheted off the back of Puyol, and Iker
Casillas did brilliantly to claw away Park Ji-sung's follow-up.
Joaquin continued to cause problems and five minutes later should have done
better than fire into the side-netting after getting behind the defense.
Lee Chun-soo had a quiet outing overall, but almost stole it for his side in
the closing minute of normal time with a low shot Casillas did well to save.
The Spaniards were incensed two minutes into extra-time when the linesman
signaled the ball had crossed the bye-line before Joaquin centered. Their
anger will have been increased by Morientes heading home, but in South Korea
's defense, goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae made almost no effort to keep it out.
Lee Chun-soo again came close with a free-kick seven minutes into
extra-time, but there was an even narrower escape for South Korea three
minutes later when Morientes hooked Joaquin's quick throw-in onto the post.
Both sides had chances to finish it off, South Korea coming closest when
Hwang Sun-hong headed down Lee Young-pyo's long ball to Lee Chun-soo and
going for the return, but failing to connect cleanly enough to trouble
Casillas.
Hwang went first in the penalty shootout, and saw Casillas almost keep his
spot-kick out. The rest of South Korea's kicks were faultless, and they now
go on, unbelievably, to a World Cup semifinal meeting with three-time
winners Germany in Seoul.
???? 2002/06/22 19:23

Glory, Glory, South Korea!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAH
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Non ho capito.
E il 99% delle persone disegna da schifo.
Mavuriol "Bhl" Bovati
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