S. Korea Blanks Saudi Arabia 2-0 in World Cup Qualifier

South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their 2010 World Cup qualifier early Thursday morning, ending a 19-year-old winning drought against the Middle East rival and shaping a clear lead as they move halfway into the final Asian round, according to Yonhap News.

Striker Lee Keun-ho led the charge in the 77th minute when he sneaked the ball past Saudi goalie Waleed Ali after receiving a quick pass from Manchester United winger Park Ji-sung inside the box.

Park Chu-young of AS Monaco sealed the victory when he curled a powerful right-footed shot into the right side of the net from outside the penalty area shortly into injury time.

The win at King Fadh Stadium is the first for South Korea against Saudi Arabia since they faced off in a World Cup qualifier in 1989. It also helped South Korea tighten its lead in Group B of the Asian qualifying with seven points, while pulling Saudi Arabia to fourth.

"It looked quite unstable in the first half, but things turned better as time went," South Korean coach Huh Jung-moo told reporters. "The victory brought us the confidence that we can be stronger."

South Korea, which seeks its seventh straight World Cup ticket, tied with North Korea in the opener of the final Asian qualifying in September but thrashed the United Arab Emirates 4-1 last month.

South Korea, the 2002 World Cup semifinalist, survived a series of menacing charges by Saudi Arabia in the first half, with Lee Young-pyo of Borussia Dortmund stepping in at the net to block two shots in a row in the 5th minute.

Iran, which drew 1-1 with the UAE in a separate qualifier, trail in second in Group B with five points.

Ten Asian teams are competing in two groups in the qualifying round that will end in June next year. Two from each group are given tickets to the World Cup in South Africa, while the third-placed squads will start their own playoffs.