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World Cup of shocks gets another big jolt

KOREA 2, ITALY 1 (OT): A traditional power falls again, millions of South Koreans celebrate.

©Associated Press
June 19, 2002

DAEJEON, South Korea -- Before 40,000 roaring fans in a sea of red, South Korea looked finished Tuesday at the World Cup.

The co-host had missed a penalty shot, surrendered a goal to three-time champion Italy and was minutes from elimination.

Then, just like that, the South Koreans pulled off one of the biggest surprises of this upset-filled World Cup, a 2-1 overtime victory that put them in the quarterfinals and thrilled a nation.

Seol Ki-hyeon tied the score in the 88th minute, and Ahn Jung-hwan, distraught after missing a penalty kick in the first half, scored with three minutes left in the extra period.

A team that had never won a World Cup game in five previous trips to soccer's biggest event suddenly looks like a championship contender.

"We beat one of the superpowers of world football. They are very clever and they are very dangerous," said Guus Hiddink, South Korea's Dutch-born coach. "This is unique, what the Korean players have done so far."

The South Koreans matched the feat of North Korea, which became the first Asian team to advance to the quarterfinals when it shocked Italy 1-0 in 1966.

South Korea's next game is against Spain on Saturday.

"We made it to the last eight because of the big support from the fans," South Korean defender Kim Tae-young said. "We will catch Spain in the quarterfinals. Please trust us."

Seol sent the game into overtime when he pounced on a deflection from Italian defender Christian Panucci and scored.

On the winning goal, Ahn outjumped Italian captain Paolo Maldini to meet a floating pass into the area from Lee Young-pyo and headed the ball past goalie Gianluigi Buffon.

The Italians were reduced to 10 men 13 minutes into overtime when forward Francesco Totti was given a questionable yellow card for what referee Byron Moreno believed was a dive in the penalty box. Totti was ejected because it was his second yellow.

"This is football, but if one of the teams should have advanced to the quarterfinals it should have been Italy," coach Giovanni Trapattoni said.

Christian Vieri gave Italy the lead with a pinpoint header in the 18th minute off a corner kick. The striker outmaneuvered a pack of defenders to meet Totti's corner kick from the left side and head the ball past Lee Woon-jae.

It was his fourth goal of the tournament, lifting his World Cup career total to nine and tying Roberto Baggio and Paolo Rossi for the national record.

The Italians were cool and composed in the first half, but lost control as the game progressed.

Meanwhile, in Rome, soccer-mad Italians already broiling from a heat wave simmered in anger over their team's elimination.

An Italian goal that would have won the game in overtime was disallowed for an offside call. Replays showed that the play appeared to be good.

Italy had five goals disallowed in the tournament.

Some 50,000 fans sweltered as they watched a giant TV screen in Milan's Duomo Square, where temperatures closed in on 104 degrees. In Rome, it was even hotter, 106 degrees in enormous Piazza del Popolo, and water hoses were used to keep fans cool.

But millions of red-clad South Koreans waved national flags, shouted "Oh, Korea's sure to win!" and danced. In downtown Seoul, more than 1-million fans erupted with chants of "Dae Han Min Kuk!" ("Republic of Korea!") when Ahn scored.

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