Sth Korea 1 USA 1
A dramatic late equaliser from Ahn Jung-Hwan saw co-hosts South Korea keep their World Cup dream alive with a 1-1 draw against the United States in Daegu this morning.
Ahn, the golden boy of South Korean football who plays in Italy with Perugia, nodded home a 78th-minute free-kick to save Korea from defeat after Clint Mathis had put the US ahead in the first half.
South Korea's Choi Yong-Soo had a glorious chance to snatch a win late in the game, but shot over from close range as the USA escaped with a point.
Ahn's equaliser sparked relief amongst the hordes of red-shirted Korean fans who had crammed into the 65,000-capacity Daegu Stadium for a match held among unprecedented security.
World Cup organisers feared the Group D collision might prompt a mass display of anti-US sentiment.
Ahn celebrated his goal by taking a speed skating posture - an apparent reference to the controversy at this year's Winter Olympics when a Korean skater was denied a gold medal in favour of an American rival.
The result leaves both the United States and South Korea level on four points at the top of Group D after two matches. Poland and Portugal play later today.
Earlier it had looked as if US goalkeeper Brad Friedel would see the Americans home to victory, the Blackburn Rovers shot-stopper saving a first-half penalty and pulling off a series of superb blocks during the match.
Swiss official Urs Meier had pointed to the spot around the 40-minute mark after the USA's veteran defender Jeff Agoos was adjudged to have shoved South Korea's veteran striker Hwang Sun-Hong in the box.
Lee Eul-Yong stepped up to take the penalty and keeper Friedel guessed correctly, diving to his right to beat out the shot before Kim Nam-Il missed a follow up.
Mathis' goal came after the United States had soaked up some early pressure to catch the home defence napping.
A long ball from midfield found Mathis in acres of space on the edge of the penalty area, the mohican-cropped striker taking one touch before ramming an unstoppable finish past Lee Woon-Jae.
South Korea had squandered a gilt-edged chance to take the lead over only five minutes.
A perfect cross to the back post from Hwang found an unmarked Seol Ki-Hyeon. But with the goal at his mercy Seol smashed a close-range volley over the bar, to the disbelief of his team-mates.
Kim Nam-Il was the first to seriously test Friedel, lofting a long-range shot which the back-pedalling US shot-stopper gathered on nine minutes.
Seol went close again near the 20-minute mark, latching on to a long ball over the top from Yoo Sang-Chul but seeing his angled shot blocked as Friedel thrust out a leg.
It was a similar tale after half-time, South Korea sweeping forward in search of an equaliser only to be thwarted by a resolute American defence - and Friedel.
The second half was barely a minute old before when Friedel came to the rescue for the US again, pulling off another marvellous save from a shot by Seol as another Korean chance went begging.