By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South Korean striker Park Chu-young found the net for the first time with the Olympic team since November 2006, but it was not enough to secure a win over African football power Cameroon and the match finished in a 1-1 draw.
In the opening game of the Beijing Olympics at Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Qinhuangdao Thursday night, the FC Seoul forward scored a goal early in the second half, but tiredness cost manage Park Sung-hwa's side a late tie.
The result gives the two sides one point in the Group D standings, placing them behind Italy who defeated Honduras 3-0 in the other qualifier earlier in the day.
South Korea will face Italy in the same venue at 8:45 p.m. (KST), Sunday.
Each side had a decisive goal chance apiece earlier in the game as unmarked striker Lee Keun-ho rifled a shot on the box, which sailed inches wide of the far right post six minutes into the first half, while striker Serge Ngal's header also threatened South Korea five minutes later.
After that, the two sides exchanged several shots, but a lack of completion left them scoreless in the first half.
The young South Koreans dictated the game, entering the second half.
Substitute forward Shin Young-rok, who scored the winning goal in a warm-up match against Australia last week, nodded a Park Chu-young cross into the left side netting one minute after the intermission.
Two minutes later, Park broke to the left again and sent in a cross, but there was no one to react.
Despite allowing midfielder Aurelien Chedjou to hit the post, South Korea _ hoping to reach the semifinals for the first time in the Summer Games _ kept attacking with Park running down the field on the side, winning the Taeguk Warriors corners.
The long deadlock came to an end in the 67th minute when Park Chu-young's free kick, earned by himself, beat Cameroon's goalkeeper Amour Patrick Tignyemb and hit the back of the net.
However, in the 80th minute Cameroon, the Sydney Olympic gold medallist in 2000, equalized.
Portsmouth midfielder Frank Songoo put in a cross from the right that landed with Gustave Bebbe, who slipped it to substitute Georges Mandjeck, who fired home from inside the area past goalie Jung Sung-ryong.
In the 87th minute Shin Young-rok sent in a cross from the right to the unmarked Lee Keun-ho, whose header flew wide of the net.
In Group B, Japan lost to the United States 1-0, while Brazil edged Belgium 1-0 in a Group C qualifier.