Korea sent packing in men's football after embarrassing loss to Mexico

South Korea were trounced by Mexico 6-3 being knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympic men's football tournament Saturday, their porous defense rendered helpless against an opposition onslaught.

Two Mexican players grabbed a brace each, while Lee Dong-gyeong also had two of South Korea's goals in the crushing loss at the Yokohama International Stadium, south of Tokyo.

This is the second straight Olympics in which South Korea have been sent packing in the men's football quarterfinals.

Team Korea controlled the run of play in the opening minutes, but Mexico scored first in the 12th minute.

Alexis Vega sent a cross from the left side of the box, and Luis Romo headed it down to set up Henry Martin, whose header at the goalmouth beat goalkeeper Song Bum-keun for a 1-0 lead.

Lee Dong-gyeong leveled the score eight minutes later. After taking a feed from Kim Jin-gyu at the top of the penalty arc, Lee faked a shot with his right foot and then fired one home past Guillermo Ochoa with his left foot.

But then it was all Mexico for the rest of the first half. Vega, who toyed with the South Korean defense on the left side all night, found Romo sprinting down the middle. The Mexican midfielder received a perfect pass without breaking his stride and struck it past Song to put Mexico up by 2-1.

South Korea dug themselves into a bigger hole in the 39th minute. Kang Yoon-seong was cautioned for pushing down Uriel Antuna in the box, and Sebastian Cordova converted the ensuing penalty for a 3-1 Mexico lead.

South Korea nearly got a goal back immediately after the penalty, but Ochoa made a spectacular save on Lee Dong-jun's hard shot in a counterattack opportunity.

Lee Dong-gyeong rang his free kick off the crossbar in the dying moments of the first half.

South Korea coach Kim Hak-bum made three substitutions to start the second half, hoping to swing the pendulum back in his team's favor.

And Lee Dong-gyeong breathed life back into South Korea with his second goal of the match in the 51st minute. He secured the loose ball after a chaotic scramble in the box, and found the top of the net on the far side to cut the deficit to 3-2.

But hopes of a comeback were further dashed just three minutes later, when Martin headed in his second goal off a free kick taken by Cordova and restored a two-goal lead for Mexico.

Cordova picked up his own second goal in the 63rd minute to give Mexico a 5-2 cushion, thanks to a feed from Vladimir Lorona.

Second-half sub Eduardo Aguirre rubbed it in on South Korea with an 84th-minute goal that made it 6-2 Mexico.

Hwang Ui-jo scored a meaningless goal for South Korea during second-half injury time for a final score of 6-3. (Yonhap)