South Korea v Greece
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Date: Saturday, 12 June 2010
Kick-off: 1230 BST
Coverage: ITV and BBC Radio 5 live, live text commentary and video highlights on this website
TEAM NEWS
South Korea striker Lee Dong-Gook hopes to play some part in Saturday’s game against Greece after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Captain Park Ji-Sung is fully fit despite missing the defeat to Spain because of a sore hamstring.
Greece defender Vangelis Moras will miss the match in Port Elizabeth with a thigh problem.
His absence could mean that midfielder Kostantinos Katsouranis drops back to play as a central defender.
MATCH PREVIEW
The bookmakers may rate South Korea and Greece as World Cup outsiders, but both sides know a thing or two about defying the doubters. The Koreans were the surprise package at the 2002 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals on home soil, while Greece were shock winners at Euro 2004, making a mockery of their pre-tournament odds of 100/1.
Recent form suggests it is South Korea who look the better bet in Group B. They were undefeated in qualifying and have beaten the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Japan in recent friendlies. Huh Jung-Moo’s men were also four minutes away from holding Spain to a goalless draw in their final warm-up.
South Korea will be taking part in their eighth World Cup but this is only Greece’s second appearance. Greek fans will be hoping to erase the painful memories of USA ’94, when the side lost all three group games, conceding 10 unanswered goals. While Otto Rehhagel’s team impressed in their gritty play-off win against Ukraine, results this year have been less promising. They have lost to Senegal and Paraguay and could only draw 2-2 with North Korea.
Both goals against ‘The Chollima’ came from set pieces, and dead-ball deliveries could be crucial on Saturday. The Greeks are one of the tallest sides at the World Cup, with an average height of over 6ft (185cm). The South Korean squad measure up only an inch shorter, but the back four are not especially tall, something Rehhagel will surely look to exploit.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Greece and South Korea have met only twice before in full internationals, both of which were friendlies. The sides drew 1-1 in Saudi Arabia in 2006 while a year later Korea won 1-0 in a match held at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.
- They also met at the 2004 Olympics, with their group game ending in a 2-2 draw.
SOUTH KOREA
- They are Asia’s most successful team at the World Cup. They first qualified in 1954 and have competed at every tournament since 1986.
- Victory against Togo in their 2006 opener is South Korea’s only World Cup win overseas.
- Goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae is one of two veterans of USA ’94 at the 2010 World Cup. Cameroon’s Rigobert Song is the other.
GREECE
- Otto Rehhagel, 71, is the oldest coach at the World Cup, and the second longest-serving behind Denmark’s Morten Olsen.
- Greece’s Theofanis Gekas was top scorer in European qualification with 10 goals, finishing ahead of the likes of Wayne Rooney and David Villa. Six of those goals came in two games against Latvia.
- Of all the European sides to have played at World Cup finals, Greece are the only team without a single goal. Outside of Europe, five other countries have failed to leave their mark: China, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Zaire and the Dutch Indies (now known as Indonesia).
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Michael Hester (New Zealand)
Assistants: Jan Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand) & Tevita Makasini (Tonga)
Fourth official: Martin Vazquez (Uruguay)
