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FIFA World Cup 2010 match 18 - Group B Argentina: Romero, Demichelis, Heinze, Samuel (Burdisso 23), Di Maria, Mascherano, Gutierrez, Maxi, Higuain (Bolatti 82), Messi, Tevez (Aguero 75). South Korea: Jung Sung-Ryong, Oh Beom Seok, Cho Yong-Hyung, Lee Young-Pyo, Lee Jung-Soo, Park Ji-Sung, Kim Jung-Woo, Ki Sung-Yeung (Kim Nam-Il 46), Lee Chung-Yong, Park Chu-Young (Lee Dong-Gook 81), Yeom Ki-Hun. Both these sides had been impressive in winning their opening games of the tournament so there was reason to hope for a decent encounter. Perhaps predictably, however, South Korea were nowhere near as adventurous here as they had been against Greece in their first game so the contest was not particularly keenly fought until the second half. The first half did allow Argentina to display their impressive repetoire of attacking skills, however. With Korea concentrating almost wholly on defence Argentina were quickly on the attack and probing with a mixture of slick short passing and dangerous darting runs, principally from Messi and Tevez. If the Koreans thought they could contain this type of attacking play indefinitely then it was hard to share their optimism and Argentina duly went ahead just past the quarter hour mark. Messi whipped in a testing free kick from the left which somehow evaded a defender and an attacker to cannon into the unsuspecting Park Chu-Young and deflect beyond Jung Sung-Ryong for an own goal. Almost immediately Maxi was only just wide of the target from twenty five yards as the Koreans looked shellshocked at conceding. Ki Sung-Yeung tried to lift his side with an ambitious effort from thirty yards but Romero never looked unduly worried as the ball flew over whereas Jung Sung-Ryong was mightily relieved to see an absolute thunderbolt from Tevez flash marginally too high following a short free kick. Argentina doubled their lead on thirty three minutes when Higuain headed in at the far post from an inswinging left wing centre. The striker looked offside but replays showed his marker had pushed up too late and the goal was right to stand. This made Jung Sung-Ryong's flimsy attempt to save even more crucial. Higuain had looked the weak link of the Argentina attack despite notching but he did well to dig out a wicked centre from the right which the keeper could only push out to Di Maria around the edge of the box. Jung Sung-Ryong did well to recover and tip the dipping effort which resulted away to safety, however. Messi clipped a neat effort just wide after combining yet again with the irrepressible Tevez and everything looked extremely rosy in the Argentine garden until right on half time. A hopeful punt forward for Korea was headed infield to Demichelis, alone on the edge of his own box, but the centre half wanted too long to sort out his feet and Lee Chung-Yong darted in to rob the defender and flick the ball home past the advancing Romero. Half Time: Argentina 2 South Korea 1 Korea's goal did not appear to deflate Argentina but it certainly gave them the belief to be far more positive after the break and the game became eminently more competitive. Jung Sung-Ryong did well to deny Higuain after smart approach play by Tevez and Di Maria but was fortunate that his parry from a Tevez effort rebounded to a defender rather than an attacker. Korea were beginning to match Argentina attack for attack, however, and Park Chu-Young was unlucky that a likely looking free kick was deflected behind by a wall that never looked to be ten yards back. Yeom Ki-Hun then burst forward to orchestrate Korea's best move of the game but after surging clear onto Lee Chung-Yong's return ball he undid all his good work with a horrible poke with his left foot into the side netting. Argentina's search for a third goal was now more urgent but not as convincing. Heinze headed over when free six yards out but their nerves were settled by another goal fifteen minutes from time. Messi got in behind the defence after a one two with Aguero to hit a low cross shot which the keeper saved with his foot. The ball went straight back to Messi who hit an instant shot against the near post and the ball rolled gently across goal to Higuain who tapped in from two yards out. Higuain had been standing offside from the time Messi hit his first shot and was still offside when he scored. Somehow the linesman failed to spot this and the goal stood. Shortly afterwards the game was completely wrapped up when Argentina broke rapidly upfield from a quickly taken free kick and Higuain ended up heading in his hat trick goal from six yards out from Aguero's cross. Aguero, who was just as lively as Tevez had been before him, was unlucky to narrowly miss the target with a crisp drive from a narrow angle as Argentina ended with the swagger that they had begun with. So far so good for the Argies. Full Time: Argentina 4 South Korea 1 Argentina: Romero 6, Demichelis 4, Heinze 5, Samuel 5 (Burdisso 5), Di Maria 6, Mascherano 5, Gutierrez 5, Maxi 7, Higuain 7, Messi 8, Tevez 8 (Aguero 7). South Korea: Jung Sung-Ryong 5, Oh Beom Seok 4, Cho Yong-Hyung 6, Lee Young-Pyo 7, Lee Jung-Soo 5, Park Ji-Sung 5, Kim Jung-Woo 4, Ki Sung-Yeung 4 (Kim Nam-Il 5), Lee Chung-Yong 6, Park Chu-Young 6, Yeom Ki-Hun 5. Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium) 7 Good: Carlos Tevez. A rare beast who combines a terrier like approach with real ability. Great to have on your side (Sir Alex). Bad: South Korea's first half approach. Ugly: Maradona. If he was a cocktail he'd be an even mix of urine and vomit.
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