Tit-for-tat clashes stain Colombia-South Korea friendly

Colombian Radamel Falcao throws the South Korean team's medical kit icebox during the friendly match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Tuesday. The action cost him a yellow card. Screen capture from YouTube

By Ko Dong-hwan

The friendly football match in Seoul Tuesday between Colombia and South Korea wasn't so friendly after players clashed following the final whistle.

The Koreans, led by captain Son Heung-min, won the match 2-1 over 12th-ranked Colombia at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo district's Sangam-dong. South Korea is ranked 36th.

Korea's first score came in the first half when Son's close-range shot beat the Colombian goalie. Colombia's Luis Diaz scored the equalizer in the second half, arching the ball to the right corner of the goal. Lee Jae-sung replied with a mid-range shot that flew past the Columbian goalie's outstretched hands.

After Lee's goal at 57 minutes, the match became fiercer as the Colombians increased their pressure while the Koreans battled to maintain their lead. The tension grew and Colombian James Rodriguez tried to provoke Korea's Jung Woo-young with a back-tackle. It was one of many tackle-and-fall actions in the last few minutes as Colombia struggled to overcome Korea's defense.

A controversial incident occurred at 89 minutes when Colombia's Radamel Falcao threw the medical kit icebox the Korean bench sent to treat Hong Chul off the field. Falcao received a yellow card for his action. Seconds before, Falcao's header was blocked by Korean goalie Cho Hyun-woo and he clashed with Hong while landing.

Colombia's Wilmar Barrios and South Korea's Son Heung-min exchange heated words after the so-called friendly match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Tuesday. Yonhap

As players left the ground after the final whistle, a TV camera captured Son repeatedly making a hand gesture at his mouth imitating “talking too much” toward Colombian Wilmar Barrios. Korean news reports interpreted that the Tottenham Hotspurs attacker from the English Premier League mocked the Colombians for complaining too much during and after the match.

Son's gesture was picked up by Publimetro, the Peruvian, Chilean and Mexican edition of global newspaper Metro International.

The report said the match “ended with controversy” and “the Asians reacted in a very questionable way.” Describing Son as “having a personal issue with the Colombian defenders,” it said he “was annoyed…then made a gesture with his hand towards his mouth, meaning that the Colombians talked a lot.”

The report mentioned Edwin Cardona from the2017 friendly, in which he made a slant-eye gesture to former Korean national captain Ki Sung-Yueng during a scuffle. FIFA banned him for five international games for the racially provocative action targeting Asians.

“Now, the one who had an ugly gesture was one of the Koreans,” the report said.