Odds were that one of Uruguay’s two strikers, Diego Forlan and Luis Suárez, would come up with a moment of genius. On this day, it was Suárez—twice.
The Ajax goleador hit two brilliant goals to lead Uruguay past South Korea, 2-1, at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The result puts them into the quarterfinals for the first time since 1970. They are also the first South American team other than Brazil or Argentina to reach the quarters since 1978.
The matchwinner came in the 80th, when Suárez collected a loose ball on a corner kick. Isolated against two defenders on the left side of the Korean area, he cut to the inside and curled a shot in that kissed the inside of the far post and sparked mad celebrations.
The goal completed the 23-year-old’s brace. He put Uruguay on top in the 8th minute, when a low cross from the left side by Diego Forlán whipped in behind the Korean backline. Goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong misread the ball, and Suárez, arriving at the far post, one-timed the bouncing ball in from an acute angle.
After the opener, Uruguay stayed true to their historical script, collapsing into a defensive posture and allowing South Korea to press them. The Koreans were strong going forward, creating chance after chance.
As the rain began to fall in Port Elizabeth, the key man for the Taeguk Warriors was Monaco midfielder Park Chu-Young. In the 32nd minute, he cut inside from the right side and whipped a left-footed shot just wide of the left post. In the 51st minute, a misplayed cross fell kindly to Park, but he put his ambitious volley high.
Finally, in the 68th minute, the pressure finally paid off. A cross into the Uruguayan area was cleared straight up and Lee Chung-Yong rose highest to head home past flailing Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera.
The goal set up Suarez for his late-game heroics. And although the Koreans nearly pulled level again in the 84th minute through substitute Lee Dong-Gook, the damage was done. Uruguay move on to the next round, where they will face the winner of the USA-Ghana match played later in the day in Rustenburg.
Scoring Summary
URU – Luis Suárez 8’, 80’
KOR – Lee Chung-Yong 68’
Uruguay: Fernando Muslera; Maxi Pereira, Diego Lugano (c), Diego Godín Godin (Mauricio Victorino 46’), Jorge Fucile; Diego Pérez, Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Álvaro Pereira (Nicolás Lodeiro 74’), Diego Forlán; Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez (Álvaro Fernández 84’)
South Korea: Jung Sung-Ryong; Cha Du-Ri, Cho Yong-Hyung, Lee Jung-Soo, Lee Young-Pyo; Ki Sung-Yong (Yeom Ki-Hun 85’), Kim Jung-Woo (Lee Dong-Gook 61’), Kim Jae-Sung, Park Ji-Sung (c), Lee Chung-Yong; Park Chu-Young
