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GROUP D REVIEW
POLAND 3-1 USA
THIS match summed up the perverse nature of the 2002 World Cup. Poland manager Jerzy Engel made five changes to his team, saw them outplay the USA throughout a 3-1 victory, and then packed his bags for the flight back at the final whistle.
Meanwhile, USA manager Bruce Arena could celebrate his team's progression to the second phase - at the expense of Portugal - where they'll face neighbours Mexico.
The USA knew a draw would book their place in the last 16, but matters were quickly taken out of their hands when Poland - without a point or a goal after two games thus far - scored twice in the opening five minutes.
Emmanuel Olisadebe blasted the Poles ahead from close range after the USA defence failed to clear a corner. Just 90 seconds later, Pawel Krysalowicz fired home a cross from Jacek Kryznowek at the near post to make it 2-0, after USA striker Landon Donovan had a header ruled out for a push on Arkadiusz Glowacki.
Unsurprisingly, the match couldn't maintain this level of goalmouth incident, but Marcin Zewlakow did make it 3-0 midway through the second half with a towering header from a left-wing cross.
Poland should have made it 4-0 ten minutes later, but Brad Friedel dived sharply to his left to save a penalty from Maciej Zurawski, before Donovan finally got on the scoresheet with a low shot eight minutes from time.
But all this was immaterial as events in Incheon meant the USA would have qualified for the second phase no matter what happened.
PORTUGAL 0-1 SOUTH KOREA
THE WORLD CUP threw up another amazing shock on Friday night, when South Korea eliminated Portugal from the tournament.
The Europeans, who were many peoples tip for the title, failed to play their usual style of breathtaking football when it really mattered, and have joined the ever-increasing list of early casualties.
Portugal coach Antonio Oliverira must have known that it wasn’t going to be their day as soon as they had Joao Pinto sent-off early in the first-half, the Sporting Lisbon striker took out Park Ji-sung on 26.
In the second-half Portugal were taken down to nine men, when Beto was sent from the field for a second bookable offence.
But don’t let this take anything away from the co-hosts South Korea, who performed brilliantly on the night and would’ve probably beaten Portugal even if they’d played with 22 men, so woeful was their performance.
Midfielder Song Chong-gug was brilliant in keeping Luis Figo in his pocket all evening - making the £38m Real Madrid midfielder look more like a £3.80 midfielder.
The co-hosts broke the deadlock five minutes after Beto's dismissal. Park Ji-Sung’s delightful piece of skill brought him inside Fernando Couto and the Korean striker fired the ball through the legs of Victor Baia in the Portuguese goal.
Portugal continued to search for the equaliser that would’ve kept them in the tournament. Luis Figo curled a free-kick too far round the post! While Sergio Conceicao had a shot deflected onto the post and watched it roll agonisingly along the line.
South Korea and USA qualify from Group D, while Portugal and Poland begin to make the long journey home.
PORTUGAL 4-0 POLAND
POLAND’S World Cup dreams were left in tatters on Monday evening, after a Pauleta hat-trick knocked them out of the competition.
The game kicked-off in torrential rain and the slippery conditions meant both sides had good chances to take the lead.
Portuguese striker Pauleta finally broke the deadlock on 14 with a delightful goal. A long ball from Joao Pinto found the Bordeaux striker in the penalty-area, where he turned Tomasz Hajto and then fired the ball past Jerzy Dudek inside his near post.
The rest of the first-half was a drab affair, with the weather ruining any rhythm the game had.
20 minutes after the restart Pauleta popped up again. Figo played in a beautiful cross through the Polish penalty area and Pauleta stole in front of his marker to guide it in.
Minutes later Luis Figo was denied his first ever world Cup goal by the woodwork. A glorious strike cannoned off of the post and was cleared by Poland.
Pauleta completed his hat-trick on 77. Second-half substitute Rui Costa played a lovely ball to the increasingly-confident striker, who jinked past the Polish defence before unleashing a crisp strike to finish Poland off.
But their misery was completed when Rui Costa popped up with a fourth. Poland’s non-existent defence had given up by the time Costa rifled the ball past Dudek, ending a very unhappy day for the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Portugal have to beat South Korea in their next game if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the second round, whilst Poland will just be playing for their pride - although they have very little left.
SOUTH KOREA 1-1USA
GROUP D surprise packages South Korea and the USA served up a highly entertaining clash in Daegu on Monday morning.
After taking the lead halfway through the first half when Clint Mathis controlled and superbly half-volleyed home from 15 yards, the USA looked like they'd hold on and take a giant step towards qualification.
But, just 12 minutes from time, the South Koreans conjured up an equaliser - Ahn Jung-Hwan heading a free-kick pastt the inspired Brad Friedel.
Friedel had earlier saved a 40th-minute penalty from Lee Eul-Yong, and denied Seol Ki-Hyeon with a world-class point-blank save just after the break.
With the USA tiring - after chasing the ball for most of the match - there was still time for the Koreans to have won it when Lee Eul Yong danced free on the left hand side of the penalty area, and pulled back for Choi Yong-Soo to blast wastefully over the bar in the last minute.
The points apiece moves both teams onto four points - but gives pointless Poland and Portugal some encouragement to make up the gap when they meet later on today.
PORTUGAL 2-3 USA
IF USA '94 didn't quite manage to bring soccer to the forefront of the American imagination - then this thrilling match might just have succeeded.
Portugal were a pale imitation of the team that enlivened Euro 2000 so much, but the USA were a pale imitation of the team that lost all three games so disappointingly at France '98.
With Portugal looking nervous and distracted, Ajax midfielder John O'Brien opened the scoring with a close-range shot after Vitor Baia had pushed a header from former Preston North End striker Brian McBride into his path.
But instead of being stung into action by this calamity, Portugal responded with another catalogue of defensive errors, to help the USA make it 2-0 on 29 minutes.
Two defenders went for the same ball, and only succeded in teeing up starlet Landon Donovan, whose cross took a wicked deflection off Charlton's Jorge Costa and embarrassed Baia at his near post.
Against all expectations, the USA made it 3-0 when McBride stole between Beto and Costa to head home Tony Sanneh's cross at the far post.
Beto then atoned by prodding home after a miscued defensive clearance just four minutes later, but the expected Portuguese second-half onslaught never really materialised.
Not even a spectacular own goal by Jeff Agoos on 71 minutes could inspire the Iberian under-achievers - whose star player Luis Figo remained completely anonymous throughout.
SOUTH KOREA 2-0 POLAND
South Korea made a dream start with a highly entertaining win over a disapointing Polish side in Busan.
Poland began brightly but failed to take control of the game and were made to pay on 26 minutes.
Hwang Sun-hong's 50th international goal put South Korea ahead when he stroked home a left-wing cross from close range.
Park Ji Songs volley was tipped over before Yoo Sang-chul scored a second.