Jo Sumi - Champions - 2002 World Cup - Korea Red Devils
- 10 years ago
South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament with Japan. As they had never won a game in the World Cup previously hopes were not very high. However led by Dutch coach Guus Hiddink from the Netherlands and assistant coach Pim Verbeek, the South Korean team achieved their first ever victory in the World Cup with a 2--0 victory against Poland. Their next game was against the United States and earned a 1-1 draw, with striker Ahn Jung Hwan scoring a late game equalizer. Their last game was against the favored Portuguese side. Portugal earned two red cards in the match, reducing them to nine men and Park Ji-Sung scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory, allowing the South Korean team to qualify for the second round for the first time in their history.
South Korea's second round opponents were Italy, who they defeated 2-1 in a very physical match. The Korean team was down for most of the match but Seol Ki-Hyeon scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, allowing the game to go through to extra time. Ahn Jung-Hwan scored the winner with a headed golden goal, allowing them to advance to the quarter-final. South Korea faced Spain in the quarter finals. The game went to penalties after two disallowed Spanish goals and South Korea won the penalty shootout 5-3, becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.
The South Korean team's run was halted by a 1--0 loss to Germany in the semi-finals. They lost to Turkey 3--2 in the third-place match to gain fourth place. This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never before won a game in the World Cup. They had gone further than any Asian team and upset several established European teams in the process, leading to an increase in the popularity of football in the country. Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea, becoming the first person to be granted honorary citizenship in addition to being given a private villa.
South Korea's second round opponents were Italy, who they defeated 2-1 in a very physical match. The Korean team was down for most of the match but Seol Ki-Hyeon scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, allowing the game to go through to extra time. Ahn Jung-Hwan scored the winner with a headed golden goal, allowing them to advance to the quarter-final. South Korea faced Spain in the quarter finals. The game went to penalties after two disallowed Spanish goals and South Korea won the penalty shootout 5-3, becoming the first Asian team to reach the final four.
The South Korean team's run was halted by a 1--0 loss to Germany in the semi-finals. They lost to Turkey 3--2 in the third-place match to gain fourth place. This level of success was unprecedented for a country that had never before won a game in the World Cup. They had gone further than any Asian team and upset several established European teams in the process, leading to an increase in the popularity of football in the country. Hiddink became a national hero in South Korea, becoming the first person to be granted honorary citizenship in addition to being given a private villa.