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January 25 – Malaysia held South Korea to a dramatic 3-3 draw with Romel Morales’s last-ditch stoppage time equaliser condemning Jurgen Klinsmann’s team to second spot in Group E.
The Malaysians bowed out of the tournament in style by upsetting the much-fancied Koreans in a topsy-turvy match that saw Son Heung-Min put Korea ahead in the 94th minute, but Morales levelled the score with almost the last kick of the game in a grandstand finish at the Al Janoub Stadium.
South Korea needed just a point to be assured of qualification against whipping boys Malaysia with the winner of Group E playing Japan in the second round.
Going into the final round of fixtures, Jordan, who held Korea to a draw, topped the group on goal difference.
Klinsmann enforced two changes in his backline with both Kim Tae-Hwan and Kim Young-Gwon starting. Newcomer Jeong Woo-Yeong featured on the left side of the midfield with Lee Jae-sung slotting into a defensive role. For Malaysia, Syamer Kutty and Paulo Josue dropped down to the bench while defender Matthew Davies was out of the squad entirely.
The Koreans monopolised the ball from the start and The Harimau Malaya, who last defeated South Korea in 1985, struggled in a match that at first mirrored Japan breezing past Indonesia on Wednesday. The Far East powerhouses had too much quality for the Southeast Asian side.
In the 16th minute, Son produced a first bit of magic weaving his way past two Malaysian defenders, but goalkeeper Ahmad Hazmi did well to keep out Son’s shot with his right hand. Patient in the build-up, Korea got their goal five minutes later when Woo-Yeong Jeong leapt to beat his marker at the far post to produce a fine header that Hazmi clawed away, but replays showed – and the VAR confirmed – that the ball had crossed the line. The well-deserved lead prompted a smile from Klinsmann on the bench and delayed celebrations from the Korean supporters in the stands.
The Taegeuk Warriors dominated, but often at…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/01/25/battling-malaysians-make-south-koreans-scramble-last-16-slot/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-01-25 07:03:29
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