Switzerland 2 South Korea 0
Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos sent Switzerland on their way to the second round of the World Cup finals, scoring the first goal in his side's 2-0 win over South Korea as the 2002 semi-finalists were eliminated from the competition.
The 21-year-old headed home Hakan Yakin's 23rd-minute free-kick after Park Chu-Young was judged to have Tranquillo Barnetta and Senderos arrived late in the six-yard box before beating Lee Woon-Jae in the Korean goal.
But the game ended in controversial fashion when Alexander Frei scored Switzerland's second 13 minutes from time to seal the win for Koebi Kuhn's team.
Referee Horacio Elizondo waved for play to continue after Xavier Margairaz's ball was deflected into Frei's path by a Korean defender and, although the lineman flagged for offside, the Argentinian official correctly over-ruled the decision and allowed the Swiss goal to stand.
It was cruel luck for the Koreans, who will feel doubled aggrieved after believing they should have had a penalty nine minutes into the second half when the ball bounced up off the turf and hit Patrick Mueller on the arm, only for Elizondo to ignore the Asian side's protests.
The Swiss, however, were worthy winners despite the Koreans' valiant attempts with Frei hitting the woodwork in the 64th minute as the Europeans countered against Dick Advocaat's side as they sought out the equaliser.
It was Cho Jae-Jin who came closest to restoring parity for the Koreans in the 66th minute, the Shimizu S-Pulse striker powering his header from Lee Chun Soo's corner into the turf, only for Pascal Zuberbuehler to push the ball over the crossbar.
But for a Swiss side that had had the better of the game, an equaliser would have been unjust as the wily Hakan Yakin tormented the Koreans, both from open play and set-pieces.
Last-ditch tackles from Kim Dong-Jin and Choi Jin-Cheul denied Yakin and Barnetta in the opening 10 minutes while at the other end Lee Chun-Soo beat the offside trap only to see his ball back across the face of goal fail to find another player in a white Korean shirt.
Lee was at the heart of most of the 2002 semi-finalists' best moves, the former Numancia striker seeing his shot pushed wide by Zuberbuehler four minutes before the break.
And with the game going into first-half injury time Lee again forced a save out of the Swiss keeper, turning to shoot from the edge of the area before Zuberbuehler steered the ball around his left upright.
Despite giving his team the lead, Senderos' second half involvement was short-lived after suffering an injury to his left arm before being replaced by his Arsenal club mate Johan Djourou eight minutes after the restart.
The introduction of 2002 talisman Ahn Jung Hwan did little to help the Koreans peg by the Swiss, who had little trouble hanging on to qualify for the last 16 and an encounter with Ukraine as group winners.
The 21-year-old headed home Hakan Yakin's 23rd-minute free-kick after Park Chu-Young was judged to have Tranquillo Barnetta and Senderos arrived late in the six-yard box before beating Lee Woon-Jae in the Korean goal.
But the game ended in controversial fashion when Alexander Frei scored Switzerland's second 13 minutes from time to seal the win for Koebi Kuhn's team.
Referee Horacio Elizondo waved for play to continue after Xavier Margairaz's ball was deflected into Frei's path by a Korean defender and, although the lineman flagged for offside, the Argentinian official correctly over-ruled the decision and allowed the Swiss goal to stand.
It was cruel luck for the Koreans, who will feel doubled aggrieved after believing they should have had a penalty nine minutes into the second half when the ball bounced up off the turf and hit Patrick Mueller on the arm, only for Elizondo to ignore the Asian side's protests.
The Swiss, however, were worthy winners despite the Koreans' valiant attempts with Frei hitting the woodwork in the 64th minute as the Europeans countered against Dick Advocaat's side as they sought out the equaliser.
It was Cho Jae-Jin who came closest to restoring parity for the Koreans in the 66th minute, the Shimizu S-Pulse striker powering his header from Lee Chun Soo's corner into the turf, only for Pascal Zuberbuehler to push the ball over the crossbar.
But for a Swiss side that had had the better of the game, an equaliser would have been unjust as the wily Hakan Yakin tormented the Koreans, both from open play and set-pieces.
Last-ditch tackles from Kim Dong-Jin and Choi Jin-Cheul denied Yakin and Barnetta in the opening 10 minutes while at the other end Lee Chun-Soo beat the offside trap only to see his ball back across the face of goal fail to find another player in a white Korean shirt.
Lee was at the heart of most of the 2002 semi-finalists' best moves, the former Numancia striker seeing his shot pushed wide by Zuberbuehler four minutes before the break.
And with the game going into first-half injury time Lee again forced a save out of the Swiss keeper, turning to shoot from the edge of the area before Zuberbuehler steered the ball around his left upright.
Despite giving his team the lead, Senderos' second half involvement was short-lived after suffering an injury to his left arm before being replaced by his Arsenal club mate Johan Djourou eight minutes after the restart.
The introduction of 2002 talisman Ahn Jung Hwan did little to help the Koreans peg by the Swiss, who had little trouble hanging on to qualify for the last 16 and an encounter with Ukraine as group winners.
posted by dgarden at 8:15 am
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