The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 is continuously delivering more drama and excitement, and sometimes even more. Just when everyone was expecting Uruguay to advance to the Round of 16 by beating Ghana 2-0, South Korea sent them back home by overcoming Portugal 2-1. South Korea finished second in the Group H points table with 4 points, while Portugal finished on top with 6 points.
Qatar World Cup: South Korea vs Portugal match report
Portugal's Round of 16 qualifications was confirmed after their 2-0 victory over Uruguay, so they came on the field with an ambition to finish top of Group H. South Korea, on the other hand, had no choice but to win this fixture and was also hoping the Uruguay-Ghana match ended in a draw.
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The game was evenly contested, though Portugal had 62 percent of the ball possession. The Portuguese side took an early lead in the 5th minute with an equalizer by Ricardo Horta. South Korea then started to put pressure on the opposition's defense in order to discard Portugal's 1-0 advantage.
The Korean Republic did find the back of the net in the 27th minute as Kim Young-gwon scored the goal. The score remained the same at the end of the first half.
South Korea tried to be a bit more active in the second half, pushing to take the lead. They came close on a number of occasions but were denied by young goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a dull game against Korea, was subbed off in the second half.
After that, Portugal gradually began to shift their emphasis away from offense and toward defense. They were doing well to hold onto the 1-1 scoreline, but super sub Hwang Hee-Chan came out as a rescue, as his goal in the 91st minute helped South Korea win the contest 2-1.
Aftermath
After winning two back-to-back matches, Portugal conceded a defeat against South Korea. However, the Portuguese team has shown real promise in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, as they came out as the winners of Group H. On the other hand, South Korea gave a real fight against Portugal and snatched a much-needed victory to secure their place in the Round of 16.