Match report: South Korea 1-2 Mexico
Here’s our report on how it all went down at the Rostov Arena, where Mexico made it two wins out of two.
Six points from two games for Mexico: Goals from Carlos Veal and Javier Hernandez were enough to take all three points from South Korea, who didn’t play terribly but were fairly toothless up front. Son scored a fine late consolation goal, but was left isolated up front on his own in team that seemed bereft of ideas.
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Full time in Rostov: South Korea 1-2 Mexico
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep!!!! It’s all over and despite the late scare, Mexico hang on to make it two wins from two in Group F. Meanwhile at the Fisht Stadium, Germany are preparing to play Sweden and will exit the tournament if they lose.
90+4 min: That was a wonderful goal from Son, who picked up the ball on the edge of the Mexico penalty area, cut inside and unleashed a venomous left-footed drive that screamed in at the far post. Too little, too late, perhaps. But one for the show-reel.
GOAL! South Korea 1-2 Mexico (Son 90+3)
Crikey! What a strike from Son. A fabulous dipping shot from outside the Mexico penalty area fizzes past the despairing dive of Ochoa.
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90+2 min: Mexico free-kick, wide on the left. Corona swings the ball into the mixer but Cho claims.
89 min: As tens of thousands of sombrero-sporting Mexicans celebrate in the stands, their team attempt to close out the game to make it two wins and clean sheets from two games. They haven’t impressed as much today as they did against Germany, but they’ll be delighted with this result.
87 min: Son picks up the ball in midfield, powers forward and tries a shot from distance. His effort sails high over the bar. The Spurs forward has worked extremely hard across both games for South Korea, but has had a World Cup to forget thus far.
85 min: Mexico right-back Edson Alvarez is suffering badly from cramp, but his manager has used all his substitutes, so he’s forced to soldier on. On the subject of soldiering on, South Korea’s most recent substitute, Hong, is currently doing his military service which makes this World Cup something of a Tour of Duty.
84 min: South Korea substitution: Hong Chi on for Kim Min-yoo.
83 min: Javier Hernandez’s goal was his 50th for Mexico, in case you’re interested. This is his 104th appearance for his country.
80 min: Moments after coming on as a substitute, Jung woo-young is booked for catching Javier Hernandez with an elbow as he tries to shield the ball from the Mexican.
78 min: Mexico substitution: Dos Santos on for Vela. South Korea substitution: Jung Woo-young on for Moon.
74 min: With their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages evaporating in the Rostov sunshine, South Korea plug on. A ludicrous back-pass from Marquez almost puts Son in one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he squanders a glorious opportunity to take the ball around Ochoa and chooses instead to try and score with a fancy back-flick. In the ensuing scramble, Ki catches Ochoa with an accidental boot. Mexico got away with one there.
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73 min: Mexican substitution: Hirving Lozano off for Jesus Corona.
72 min: Lee Seung-woo is booked for a foul on Miguel Layun.
69 min: Mexico substitution: Rafael Marquez on for Andres Guardado. Fun fact: at his fifth World Cup, the Mexican skipper is currently blacklisted by the US Treasury as he’s suspected of laundering money for a Mexican drugs cartel.
67 min: Mexico broke with a three-on-three and Lozano on the ball. He had two options and chose to pass to Hernandez on his left. Hernandez shaped to shoot with his left foot, before checking inside as a fully committed Jang slid past him. Hernandez then had the relatively straightforward task of slotting the ball past Cho from about six yards.
GOAL! South Korea 0-2 Mexico (Hernandez 66)
Javier Hernandez scores to wrap up a fine breakaway move for Mexico.
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64 min: South Korea substitution: Ju off, Lee on.
63 min: South Korea right-back Lee Yong gets booked for leaving one in on Hirving Lozano, who’s getting a right kicking in this match.
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62 min: Entertaining, end-to-end stuff as Carlos Vela tries his luck with a curled effort from distance. It’s a little too high and floats narrowly wide.
61 min: Lee Jae-sung has a goal-bound shot blocked by Salcedo after being teed up by a Son cross from the left.
60 min: Lozano looks to be through on goal with only Cho to beat after picking up a ball from deep from Guardado, but is foiled by a last-ditch tackle from Hwang.
59 min: Cho dives to his left to bat away an Andres Hernandez rasper that looked to be going in past the upright. A good effort from the Mexican foiled by a decent save. Nothing comes from the resulting Mexico corner.
58 min: Kim Young-gwon is booked for a completely unnecessary foul on Vela near the halfway line.
56 min: Ki brings a smart save out of Ochoa with a long range curler from the left. It’s a powerful effort which the goalkeeper can only parry on his first attempt, before grabbing the ball on his second.
55 min: Guardado’s delivery from the free-kick is poor and Cho plucks the ball from the air.
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54 min: Lozano goes to ground holding his shin after being fouled by Ju. Free-kick for Mexico, several yards outside the South Korea penalty area.
53 min: Moon tries a shot, which hits the arm of Carlos Salcedo, who is in the Mexico penalty area. South Korea appeal for a penalty, but don’t get one. For the benefit of pedants, Salcedo’s arm was bent at a 90 degree angle and by his side.
52 min: Now Javier Hernandez unleashes a shot from distance. It too sails over the bar. Lozano was making a clever run in behind the South Korea defence which Hernandez failed to spot.
50 min: Hirving Lozano cuts inside to the edge of the South Korea penalty area and unleashes a right-footed shot. His effort soars high over the bar.
49 min: A very scrappy opening few minutes to this second half, which has been punctuated by lots of throw-ins.
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47 min: Throw-in for Mexico, deep inside their own half. They go on to win another one, 20 metres further up the pitch.
Second half: South Korea 0-1 Mexico
46 min: Play resumes with no changes on either side.
More on that penalty: “Whatever the rights and wrongs of the decision, the Sth Korean players didn’t put up any fight about it,” writes Aidy Griffin. “They seemed to accept it meekly, which suggests they agreed with the ref, or at a minimum didn’t feel any protests would be heard.” This is true.
Half-time: South Korea 0-1 Mexico
The players go off for their half-time oranges with Mexico leading courtesy of a Carlos Vela penalty. South Korea are still in with a shout, but haven’t posed Mexico too many problems so far.
45+1 min: “Korean defender’s arm straight up in the air, classic case of an unnatural position,” says Richard McGahey. “You can’t raise your arm up in the air and let the ball strike it and then say you didn’t move your arm. Imagine if players did that on a direct free kick in the wall, would you say it was ok, because they didn’t move their arms? Same principle.”
It really isn’t the same principle. Standing in a wall is a lot different to diving at full speed, on the stretch, to block a cross.
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42 min: “In no way was that a harsh penalty,” writers David Sweet. “Defender went to ground, in your words, to intercept the cross. He was therefore deliberately putting himself in the way of the cross and the fact that his hand was in the air was clearly to improve his chances of intercepting the cross. Handball is playing the ball with the hand. He was playing for that, hoping that if it hit his hand he would get away with it.”
I’d say his hand was in the air because he was diving in to intercept a cross and footballers generally tend to do so with outstretched arms. I know they’re playing in Rostov, the home of the Cossacks, but folding them probably wasn’t an option. Lozano, who is proving a real handful, shoots over the bar for Mexico.
39 min: Hark at me. As I type, South Korea hoof it long to Son, who darts in behind Alvarez and Salcedo to chase Moon’s delivery. He gets on the ball near the byline, but Ochea is quickly off his line to smother the ball at Son’s feet. Those long balls over the top to Son have got Mexico in trouble twice now - they need to try it more often.
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38 min: Much like in their opening game against Sweden, South Korea are looking very toothless up front. They enjoy keeping possession, but are struggling to do anything with it. Apart from that time Son got in behind Salcedo and Moreno, he’s done very little.
36 min: Herrera picks out Layun on the right wing with a wonderful long diagonal pass and the winger’s first touch is perfect. He controls the ball instantly and sends in a cross towards Lozano. South Korea clear.
35 min: Lee returns to action after treatment. He looked to have damaged his ribcage after a tussle with Jesus Gallardo.
34 min: Lee Yong goes down injured and requires treatment, allowing the rest of the players on the field to take drinks on board. It’s a sweltering day in Rostov.
31 min: South Korea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Mexico goal. Son lashes a powerful effort over the bar.
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30 min: Since the penalty was scored, Vela has missed a fairly straightforward chance. Teed up by Layun after a powerful run into the South Korea penalty area, he shoots over the bar when scoring – or at least hitting the target – looked easier.
27 min: Mexico lead and can consider themselves a mite fortunate. I thought the decision to award that penalty was incredibly harsh. Yang slid in to block a Guardado cross from the left side of the penalty area. Guardado attempted to send the ball into the box and en route, it hit the defender’s outstretched arm. It was very much ball to hand, rather than the other way around and the guy had to have his arm somewhere.
GOAL! SOUTH KOREA 0-1 MEXICO (Vela 26pen)
Mexico lead! After a long run up, Carlos Vela sends Cho the wrong way and slots the ball in past the right upright.
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PENALTY FOR MEXICO!!!
24 min: With Mexico on the break, Jang goes to ground to intercept a cross. The delivery hits his outstretched arm and the referee blows his whistle and points to the spot. That’s harsh.
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21 min: A long ball towards Son on the edge of the Mexico penalty area. He gets between the two central defenders, who had attempted to step up and play him offside, and appears to control the ball with his hand, but gets away with it. He shapes to curl the ball past Ochoa in the Mexican goal but Salcedo gets back to block. Song has another go, which is also blocked and then a third attempt, which is deflected out for a corner.
20 min: Ki is penalised for the third time, on this occasion for a tackle from behind on Hernandez. He gets a ticking off from the ref, but avoids a booking.
18 min: Mexico attack down the right flank with Herrera and Hernandez combining. They make their way to the edge of the South Korean penalty area, where it’s cleared. Kim tries to control the ball just inside Mexico’s half and wins a free-kick when Salcedo clatters him from behind.
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17 min: Mexico win a corner. The ball’s sent into the penalty area and Salcedo gets his head to it. It’s a fairly feeble effort and South Korean goalkeeper Cho gathers comfortably.
13 min: Brilliant work down the right from Hwang, who sends in a fine cross to the back post for Lee. He shapes to smash a volley past Guillermo Ochoa, but Hirving Lozano gets back to block and takes the full force of Lee’s volley – boot and all – in his midriff. That’s got to have hurt and he rolls around in agony on the deck for a while, but is soon fit to continue. Heroic defending.
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11 min: Ki gets a ticking off from the ref for a foul on Carlos Vela. It’s only a matter of time before Milorad Mazi reaches for his yellow card - South Korea seem to have some sort of foul rotation system in operation here.
10 min: Mexico corner. Layun sends the ball deep, where Ki Sung-yeung clears. The South Korean is currently a free agent after leaving Swansea City following their relegation from the Premier League.
9 min: South Korea break up the pitch from the corner and midfielder Miguel Layun is called upon to intercept a pass to Hwang Hee-chan, with his team-mates stranded further up the pitch.
7 min: Referee Milorad Mazic lectures several different players from both sides in the penalty area, laying down the law about grappling before Mexico take their corner. When the ball is eventually sent into the penalty area, South Korea clear.
6 min: Miguel Lyun wins a corner for Mexico after a jinking run down the right flank.
5 min: Carlos Vela trips Jang Hyun-soo just outside the South Korea penalty area after being dispossessed by the defender. A scrappy enough start to this game, with lots of niggle.
4 min: Lee Yong goes through the back of Hirving Luzano and Mexico win another free-kick, wide on the left. The ball’s swung into the South Korea penalty area and promptly headed clear.
3 min: Javier Hernandez is pulled to the ground by Ju Se-Jong in midfield and Mexico win a free-kick.
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South Korea v Mexico is GO!!!
1 min: Play is under way in Rostov, where South Korea’s players wear red shirts, black shorts and red socks. Mexico’s wear white shirts, burgundy shorts and white socks.
Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch and it’s time for the national anthems.
On UK TV: Jacqui Oatley is in the chair, accompanied by pundits Eni Aluko, Slaven Bilic and Martin O’Neill. Slaven is talking about South Korea’s need to get Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min into the game after he cut such a peripheral and forlorn figure against Sweden. It looks like he’ll be playing up front today, rather than out on the wing.
South Korea’s line-up: Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-hoo drop to the bench, with Ju Se-jong and Kim Min-woo coming into midfield and defence respectively. Moon also starts.
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Mexico’s line-up: Juan Carlos Osorio makes one change from the team that defeated Germany. Edson Alvarez is in at right-back, which means Carlos Salcedo will move to the centre of defence. Hugo Ayala drops to the bench.
South Korea v Mexico line-ups
South Korea: Cho, Yong Lee, Jang, Young-Gwon Kim, Min-Woo Kim, Moon, Ju, Ki, Hwang, Jae-Sung Lee, Son.
Subs: Seung-Gyu Kim, Jeong, Oh, Yun, Park, Shin-Wook Kim, Seung-Woo Lee, Koo, Hong, Jung, Go, Jin-Hyeon Kim.
Mexico: Ochoa, Alvarez, Salcedo, Moreno, Gallardo, Layun, Herrera, Guardado, Vela, Hernandez, Lozano.
Subs: Jose de Jesus Corona, Ayala, Marquez, Gutierrez, Jonathan, Fabian, Jimenez, Giovani, Jesus Corona, Peralta, Aquino, Talavera.
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
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Early team news ...
South Korea coach Shin Taeyong may make changes up front after his toothless side failed to muster a single shot on target against Sweden. Left-pack Park Jooho is out injured and will be replaced by Kim Minwoo or Hong Chul.
Mexico boss Juan Carlos Osorio has a fully fit squad to choose from, but as a fan of mixing things up, may make a couple of changes. In his press conference yesterday, he stressed how important it was that he and his players don’t rest on their laurels after beating Germany and “keep their foot on the gas”.
Pre-match listening
We’re recording an episode of our award-winning podcast at the end of each day’s final match during this World Cup. Last night, Max Rushden and I were joined in the studio by Paolo Bandini and Philippe Auclair, while Aanu Adeoye called in from Lagos to discuss Nigeria’s win over Iceland and Tom Marshall – a Mexico-based El Tri expert from Rochdale –previewed this match. You can listen here and if you’re not already a subscriber, download Football Weekly (aka World Cup Football Daily) in all the usual places.
Group F: South Korea v Mexico
Rostov is the venue, where Mexico hope to book their passage to the knockout stages with a win over South Korea. El Tri threw down a marker with a surprise – and entirely deserved – 1-0 win over the reigning champions Germany almost a week ago in Moscow. South Korea, by contrast, looked laboured and out of ideas in their defeat at the hands of Sweden. They need at least a point today to keep their chances of progressing to the knockout stages alive. Kick-off is at 4pm (BST) but stay tuned for team news and build-up.
