By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
South Korea lost 2-1 to Bahrain, Sunday, in what was considered the biggest upset of the Asian Cup so far, leaving the tournament favorites in danger of an embarrassing early exit.
Ismaeel Abdullatif's second-half strike sealed it for Bahrain, a stunning goal that sent his teammates into ecstasy and sucked the competitive will out of the Koreans, who walked off the stadium several minutes later wondering what had just happened.
The Taeguek Warriors now await a tough challenge against surging co-hosts Indonesia in their Group D finale on Wednesday, needing a win to avoid elimination.
The loss adds pressure to Korean manager Pim Verbeek who had boldly predicted bringing home the tournament crown for the first time in 47 years, as anything less might affect his future with the national team.
The Koreans performance was hardly convincing as tournament favorites as they found themselves constantly threatened by Bahrain's pace and creativity on the flanks.
Working with a midfield unit compromised by injuries, Verbeek packed the midfield with five players and put Middlesbrough forward Lee Dong-gook as the lone striker on the pitch in Jakarta's sweltering Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Although it was the same 4-5-1 formation he used against Saudi Arabia in the Group D opener, the Dutch coach revealed a more offense-oriented approach when he inserted Lee Chun-soo (Ulsan Hyundai), who was scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup with a high fever.
Verbeek also started Kim Do-hyun in the center _ at the expense of Kim Jung-woo who was ineffective against the Saudis _ pairing him with club teammate Kim Sang-shik in the role of holding midfielder.
However, Middlesbrough's Lee failed to convert on a number of chances early in the first-half and found himself isolated for long stretches as the game developed with the midfielders forced to play deep.
Korea struck first in the 4th minute when Ulsan's Lee collected a deflection off his own free kick and lobbed the ball into the crowded box. Kim, the Seongnam Ilhwa midfielder who didn't play in Wednesday's match against Saudi Arabia, met Lee's pass with a stunning left-foot volley in traffic that found the lower edge of the net.
Kim Sang-shik missed a chance to give his team a comfortable lead when he found himself alone against Bahrain goalkeeper Abdulrahman Abdulkarim in the box but slipped and failed to get a shot off.
Korea paid for its wasted chances in the 43rd minute when a defensive blunder allowed Bahrain defender Salman Isa to collect the ball from a long free kick and penetrate the left-side of the box untouched before netting the equalizer.
The Koreans came out with a new sense of urgency in the second-half, showing more aggressiveness in transition and taking more chances on the flanks. Although its enlarged midfield allowed the Koreans to grab a lion's share of possession, they failed to capitalize on this.
Middlesbrough's Lee threatened in the 54th minute when he fired a strike outside the left part of the box that flashed just wide of the goal post.
Lee missed another crucial chance a minute later when he collected a deft pass from Ulsan's Lee inside the box and planted a low shot, only to be see it pushed out by the goalkeeper. Lee picked up the rebound and whipped a pass to a surging Kim Sang-shik but the midfielder's shot was deflected off a recovering Bahrain defender.
Verbeek substituted a tiring Lee with Cho Jae-jin in the 66th minute and replaced defensive midfielder Lee Ho with a more attack-minded Kim Jung-woo two minutes later to bolster the attacking unit.
However, the second goal remained elusive for the Koreans and Bahrain scored the heart-breaker in the 85th minute, when Talal Yusuf dribbled down the right side of the box and shoveled a pass into traffic. Abdullatif collected a deflection off a defender and calmly beat Lee Woon-jae for the winner.