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FIFA World Cup 2010 match 30 - Group G Portugal: Eduardo, Alves, Carvalho, Miguel, Coentrao, Mendes, Raul Meireles (Veloso 70), Tiago, Ronaldo, Simao (Duda 74), Almeida (Liedson 77). North Korea: Yong-Guk Ri, Cha Jong-Hyok (Nam Song-Chol 75), Ri Jun-Il, Ri Kwang-Chon, Pak Chol-Jin, Pak Nam-Chol (K-I Kim 58), Ji Yun-Nam, Mun In-Guk (Kim Yong-Jun 58), Ahn Yong-Hak, Jong Tae-Se, Hong Yong-Jo. This was a game of two halves. Unfortunately for North Korea they lost both of them. In the first half they were bright and competitive and the game was keenly contested. The second half, however, was a procession towards their goal with Portugal carving out, and taking, chances at will. Portugal looked eager to force the pace from the off knowing a convincing win might be crucial having drawn their opening game against the Ivory Coast. Carvalho set the tone by surging out of defence on several occasions and he also had the best two chances of the opening period. Firstly he scooped a shot horribly wide after the Korean defence got itself into a tangle trying to pass their way out of danger and then headed against the post when Yong-Guk Ri got nowhere near a right wing corner. North Korea were noticably more positive in their approach than against Brazil in their opener and were soon trading attacks with their higher ranked opponents. Cha Jong-Hyok was close with a well struck effort from distance and Jong Tae-Se would have had a good chance inside the box had his control not let him down at the vital moment. Korea's best moment came when Hong Yong-Jo sent in a fierce cross shot which Eduardo parried out into the box. Pak Nam-Chol was following up but the ball came to him awkwardly and he could only head over the bar from the rebound. Cha Jong-Hyok was impressing in his defensive duties against Ronaldo and also did well to clear in front of Almeida as Portugal began to press again. The opening goal did arrive when a good ball from Tiago picked out the run of Raul Meireles who fired past the keeper in clinical fashion. Meireles could have had a second when the Korean defence again offered a chance with sloppy passing out of defence but scuffed his shot wide. The last ten minutes of the first half were a sign of things to come as North Korea struggled to retain possession and Portugal began to look increasingly dangerous, however. Half Time: Portugal 1 North Korea 0 Right from the start of the second half there was only one team making the running as Portugal came out full of energy and invention to completely overwhelm tiring opponents. Their dominance was epitomised by the adventurous left back Fabio Coentrao who had shown up well in the first half and now ran amok. Coentrao set up a chance for Almeida who poked wide at the near post before Portugal doubled their lead with the Korean defence all at sea. Raul Meireles and Almeida combined to offer Simao the chance to finish. Coentrao was soon marauding down the left again for a perfect centre which Almeida headed home and Ronaldo, beginning to smell blood after an unconvincing first half display, then picked out Tiago to make it four. Portugal were slicing through the Koreans at will now and further goals looked likely whenever they came forward. Raul Meireles missed badly at the far post from another Ronaldo centre and Coentrao was also just off target after an interchange with the same player. Kim Yong-Jun shot over after a neat North Korea move but their attacks were now few and far between. Ronaldo clipped the top of the bar after cutting in from the left wing before the floodgates well and truly opened in the final ten minutes. Ri Kwang-Chon presented Liedson with a gift which the substitute duly buried and when the Korean defence again surrendered possession cheaply Ronaldo was able to skip past the keeper and slot home after a bit of ball balancing on his head. The spotty one was fortunate to end his international goal drought, however, as the linesman had somehow failed to spot that he had been in an offside position when the ball was poked through to him. I think the officials were probably a bit shellshocked by this time as well though. The seventh, and final, nail in the Korean coffin came when Tiago headed home from Veloso's cross before the final whistle came to put the underdogs out of their misery. Losing by seven was something of a shame for a team who had fought so gamely up to half time but the result was a reasonable reflection of Portugal's total dominance of the second half. Full Time: Portugal 7 North Korea 0 Portugal: Eduardo 5, Alves 5, Carvalho 7, Miguel 6, Coentrao 10, Mendes 5, Raul Meireles 7 (Veloso 7), Tiago 9, Ronaldo 8, Simao 6 (Duda 5), Almeida 5 (Liedson 7). North Korea: Yong-Guk Ri 4, Cha Jong-Hyok 7 (Nam Song-Chol 3), Ri Jun-Il 6, Ri Kwang-Chon 3, Pak Chol-Jin 4, Pak Nam-Chol 2 (K-I Kim 4), Ji Yun-Nam 4, Mun In-Guk 4 (Kim Yong-Jun 2), Ahn Yong-Hak 5, Jong Tae-Se 5, Hong Yong-Jo 3. Referee: Pablo Pozo (Chile) 7 Good: The Korean's may have tired after half time but Portugal knew how to exploit this with their pace, movement and invention. Bad: Trying to pass your way out of defence can be laudable but not when you give the ball to the opposition around your own goal as often as the Koreans did. Ugly: Raul Meireles. Another example of a footballer going too far with his liking for tattoos. Excessive body art used to be the exclusive domain of the freakshow but not any more.
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