South Korea and Algeria have to put disappointing opening results behind them when they meet today, each knowing a victory would leave them well-placed to qualify from a World Cup group that remains wide open.
The group standings are to become clearer once Russia and Belgium play earlier in the day, but a win for South Korea would place them on the verge of the knockout rounds after they drew their first game against Russia 1-1. Three points for Algeria, who lost 2-1 to Belgium after leading for much of the match, would propel them back into contention, while a loss would all but end their World Cup.
Fullback Park Joo-ho predicted another tight encounter for South Korea, who reached the knockout rounds in 2010, but are best remembered for their history-making journey to the semi-finals in 2002, when they co-hosted the World Cup with Japan.
Photo: AFP
“I don’t think either team will have a lot of offensive chances,” he said. “If we can score with the chances that we do get, we should have a good shot at winning.”
South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo must find a way of getting more bite into his attacking lineup, including Park Chu-young, a onetime national obsession who moved to Arsenal in 2011, but failed to make the first team. Hong started with Park against Russia, but removed him in the 56th minute. His replacement, Lee Keun-ho, scored soon after, thanks to a goalkeeping blunder.
Midfielder Ha Dae-sung has been ruled out of today’s game with a damaged ligament in his left foot, according to South Korean media reports.
Dutch-born South Korea assistant coach Ton du Chatinier said Algeria are vulnerable defensively when pressing the game.
“When there’s a lot of space behind them, we’ll have a lot of opportunities to score,” the coach said. “It’s also a counterattack team. They also wait, wait and wait, and it’s important for [South] Korea that we don’t make stupid mistakes.”
Algeria are seen as an outside chance in the group, but coach Vahid Halilhodzic will have been cheered by the team’s performance against a Belgium side tipped by some to go far in the tournament.
The side went ahead on a 25th-minute penalty and held that lead for 45 more minutes, before conceding twice late in the second half.
Algeria did not score a single goal in the past World Cup in South Africa, but have risen in the FIFA rankings since then and impressed in qualifying.
The team have been able to draw on experienced players from the country’s large overseas migrant community, mostly in France, giving them a depth that some other African nations lack.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
Shin Oebori coaches the Fukagawa Hawks youth baseball team in Tokyo, and he is very aware how Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani touches his players. “With Ohtani, the kids think everything is possible,” Oebori said, wrapping up practice yesterday on an all-dirt field set alongside a local Buddhist temple, below an elevated highway, and in the shadow of tall apartment blocks in central Tokyo. “Nothing is impossible with him. A dream is not a dream,” Oebori said, stepping out of the fenced practice field that keeps balls from landing on the temple grounds. None of the players hitting sponge-soft baseball has reached
Italian defender Marco Curto has been banned for 10 matches for racially abusing South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan while playing for Como 1907 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly in July. Curto, who is on loan from Como to Serie B club Cesena, would serve half of the punishment immediately with the other half suspended for two years. “The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA.” Wolves said the club would
CRICKET Azhar’s 59 leads Stallions Aashir Azhar’s blazing half-century guided the Taipei Stallions to victory over Taipei Super 11 in the Taiwan Premier League’s Group A at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei yesterday. The Stallions were 102-3 and into the 12th over of 20 when Azhar came to the crease. He hit seven sixes and two fours in the 25 deliveries he faced to push his side to 171-5. Gokul Kumar was the star with the ball for Super 11, taking 3-17. In the reply, Deepak Vishnu outscored Azhar with 77 from 50 balls, but nobody else got past 20 as
RSS