Yes I am up bright and early here in Las Vegas and watching the South Korea vs. Greece match and thought I would post some live updates if any of you are out there.
Here are the Team Guides for South Korea and for Greece, the early action is underway and I am a bit behind on my updates.
0-10 minutes
Greece gets an early corner kick and it is a quality effort into the area but they are unable to get it on frame as their final shot goes just a bit wide, early on I am impressed with how effectively the South Koreans are attacking the free balls and that they are the more aggressive team early on.
JungSoo of Korea receives a ball after a free kick and he puts it past the keeper in the 7th minute and that is the fastest ever goal at the World Cup and Korea takes a very early 1-0 lead. Greece gets a corner kick, but are unable to do anything with it again.
more after the jump:(remember to refesh for updates)
10-20 minutes
The early lead and the way South Korea is playing appears to be taking the Greeks by surprise a bit, as they are looking just a bit out of sorts. A couple fouls are committed by the Greek players, as they are still looking a bit on their heels. Corner kick for Greece, nothing good but it goes out for another Greek throw in but this one is cleared by the South Koreans.
Another Greek foul, but the free kick doesn't do much as the Koreans are unable to do anything with it. The Greeks build a nice little bit of possession and a make a good run but Gekas's touch fails him and nothing comes of it and we are still sitting at 1-0 with South Korea in the lead.
20-30 minutes
Another corner kick for the Greeks, but once again they don't do much with it and Korea gets the ball back. Both teams are doing OK jobs of possession but it seems like the Greeks are doing a bit more chasing and the South Koreans are doing a bit more of controlling the pace. For sure more of the match has been played in the end of the team from Greece.
A good run by Jungwook, but the receiving player is unable to do anything with it or control it much, it is clear that the team from South Korea is the more agressive and the Greeks when they do get possession tend to be playing a lot of long balls which lead to the ball going back over to the South Koreans. The match is a bit more physical than I would have thought it would have been as there have been a good number of fouls early in this match.
30-40 minutes
A good effort on goal again by South Korea as Chuyoung's effort is saved by the Greek keeper, and the possession goes over to the Greeks, but when they try to get past the Korean defense the offside flag goes up and the ball goes back over to South Korea. The Greeks get it back and once again it goes out and another corner kick for Greece but again, nothing of quality comes out from it and the South Koreans are back in possession and doing the majority of the attacking.
A tough foul on Greece and they get a free kick but can't do anything with it yet again. This match has been almost all South Korea since the start and they are the sharper team as this match gets close to halftime.
40- halftime
A shot from Korea but it is off target but again it simply shows how in control of the match they are at this point. Oh wow another attack and the Korean player has his shot goes just high, and again when the Greeks counter, they get into the top of the final third and try lofting a ball over the backline of Korea and again the effort is twarted and that is it as the minute of stoppage time is done and the first half is over with South Korea in charge and in the lead 1-0.
45-55 minutes
Well the Greeks will need to do a much better job if they are going to get back into this match, they have looked out played and out hustled by the South Korean team, who if they are as good as they look in this match so far could be a team to deal with. The Greeks make a change as Karagounis is out and Patsatzoglou is in.
Early on it looks like the Greeks are doing a much better job of connecting some passes, but the South Koreans break it up and play a ball in from distance, but nothing comes of it. Eventually the Greeks get it back but they give it right away and the shot by South Korea is blocked.
The South Koreans really do a nice job of organizing their attack, a foul from the side by the Greek captain, and again South Korea have taken over the possession and pace of the match and seem to be doing as they wish with it. Out for a corner kick, but South Korea is unable to get much from it but as the Greeks try to get out of their own end, a huge mistake by the defender give the ball to Korea and the attacker is one on one with the keeper and Park Ji Sung scores to give South Korea a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute of the match.
Well if you let a team control the match that much, and you aren't able to create your own chances it is the little mistakes that can be quickly punished. That is what was that goal was all about, lots of pressure and a mistake.
55-65 minutes
Well the Man U fans should be happy as their man for the South Korean team is on the stat sheet., handball by Greece but this time the South Koreans don't do much with it. Yellow card on Greece, it is Torosidis. Finally a good attack by the Greeks but, again they pass the ball into the final third and then stop moving it and try to play a long ball in, and again it fails. South Korea back on the attack but this time the defense of Greece holds up and they get to counter attack but the shot goes right to the keeper and it is an easy save.
The Greeks make their second change of the match as Samaras is out and Salpingidis is in, and as we hit the 60th minute South Korea are still doing a good job of attacking and pressuring the ball despite their 2-0 lead. The Greeks are flagged for offside, and still look like their offense is lacking. Wow, with almost 30 minutes left the Greeks are making their final change as Charisteas is out and Kapetanos is in. Wow they announce the attendance and it is 15,000 under a full stadium. A nice long ball by Greece but it is just a bit long and goes to the keeper who gets South Korea right back on the attack. A good ball into the area, but the header is just a bit off targer and the Greeks get the ball back for a goal kick.
65-75 minutes
Another attack by South Korea, and they get a corner kick, to the back post and out off the head of a Greek player for a SK throw in. Despite the two goal lead they are still attackign with numbers. Wow some amazing numbers from the announce team, if you win the first match you have a better than 80% chance of making it out of the group.
Another long ball effort but this time the Greeks get a player on the end of it but the only thing he can do is try to get a bicycle kick, but it goes over the goal and out for a goal kick. Greece still hasn't scored a goal in the World Cup, this is their second time here, their first was 1994 (you would know that from our team guide). Another slopply play by the Greek backline puts their keeper once again in danger but they are able to quickly counter and the keeper makes the save, but the Greeks have started to wake up late in the match and their next effort on goal is high but at least they are now making South Korea play some defense.
Another attack by Greece, wow where has this been for the first 70 minutes of the match. For the first time all match, the South Koreans are having trouble getting the ball out of their own end of the pitch. Greek corner kick, but they miss their target but keep possession and go back in the box and another corner kick but again it is really a bad ball played in by Torosidis. Well, I am not sure if it is the new players who came on 10 minutes ago, but the Greek team looks like a much better team than they have at any point in the match.
75-85 minutes
South Korea make their first change as Sungyueng is out and Namil is in. The Greeks get another corner kick and again it is poorly taken, but the follow up is better and the shot hits the defender and the Greek pleas for handball will come to nothing as the offside flag is up. South Korea get into the Greek final third quickly, and for the first time in at least 10-15 minutes.
South Korea are back on the attacking side of the ball, and Greece after 10-15 minutes of great play now are defending more again. Wow the Greek counter finally ends up with a quality shot on goall but the Korean keeper is able to punch away the effort, that was the most impressive they have looked as Gekas put a quality shot on goal. The South Koreans respond with an attack of their own and are quickly in the Greek end of the pitch and firing a shot that deflects our for a corner, and then another corner, and Greece clears but can't get the ball out of their own half of the pitch.
85-final
I would say this was about a 60-40 battle as far as the possession goes, and while the Greeks have played better in the last part of the match, they don't have anything close to enough to recover from the 2 goals they have allowed. The problem with Greece having to push so high now, is that South Korea is able to counter and once again they force the Greek keeper to make a save and get another corner kick. A change for South Korea as Chuyoung goes out and Seungyeoul comes in.
A long ball played in by Greece goes over everyone and out for a goal kick, that is typical of what the Greek attack has brought for most of the match. There is just a minute and stoppage time left and I simply think now that Greece is trying to find a way to score their first ever World Cup goal. As the 2 minutes of stoppage time are indicated South Korea will make their final change of the match. It is Jaesung in and Chungyong out, I have to say I am very surprised by how good South Korea has looked, they have played a very solid match and while they are playing a Greek team who is struggling. Well that is it, the final whistle has blown and 2-0 is the final score as South Korea gets the win.
OK, time to go get ready for the next match. I won't be posting updates from it, but stop back this afternoon as I will be updating during the US vs. England match.
OFF MY SOAPBOX