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Staff reporter
After an initial win, it's too premature to be excited. That's what Argentina showed South Korea in Thursday's second group-stage match in Johannesburg.
Instead of verbal lectures, Diego Maradona's squad gave the Asians a valuable lesson with their superb skills and moves that beat South Korea's defensive efforts at Soccer City Stadium, making Korea once again depending on mathematics in the calculation of probable outcomes in the last batch of group B matches.
Hope stays afloat, but the formula is likely to become more complicated as Argentina looks to have advanced into the knockout stage with ease, while the other ticket is open for all the remaining teams.
South Korea has not lost by a three-plus goal margin since 1998, when it suffered a 5-0 rout against the Netherlands.
In addition, the setback also stretched its skid against the South Americans to three matches, traced back to the first-round meet-up in the 1986 World Cup.
High expectations might have put too much of a burden on the Taeguk Warriors. In the opening minutes of the game, the players seemed too rigid and their trademark fast movements weren't apparent, and this led to the first goal of the game that was completely unexpected.
Park Chu-young looked more puzzled than anyone else with his own goal. The AC Monaco striker misread a Lionel Messi free kick from the left, and saw the ball bounce off his shin past goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.
The presence of experienced overseas-based members turned out to be a huge relief for the team, as Lee Young-pyo and Park Ji-sung kept them from going out of control in defense and midfield, just as they did in the previous match against Greece.
A loosened focus cost another couple of goals late in the second half, but before that happened Huh Jung-moo's team grabbed brief control, pulling a goal back.
Not everything was disheartening for the Korean side. In some positive signals which flashed on-and-off on the pitch, the team showed it can still stand as a potential challenger to the conventional powerhouses.
South Korea's goal just before halftime clearly showed such changes. Marking his first World Cup appearance, Lee Chung-yong pounced on a mistake by the Argentineans.
In the last action before the whistle, the Bolton Wanderers midfielder collected a reckless through ball by Martin Demichelis, and was sharp and quick in slotting it into the far right corner of the net.
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