Evil Vince Photography

In the first group of quarterfinals, Uruguay and South Korea dueled
in the rain in Port Elizabeth Stadium at Nelson Mandela Bay. The pitch
was in very poor shape, and it was apparent almost immediately once
the teams began to try and pass the ball around the floor. The ball
did not roll straight or flat, and the quality of play suffered slightly.
The Taeguk Warriors had the first chance of the match from a free
kick twenty yards out. Park Chu-Young sent in a perfect kick that
left goalkeeper Fernando Muslera flat footed and ball watching.
Unfortunately for the South Koreans, it struck the post and out of
danger. A few minutes later La Celeste opened the scoring with
the first of two goals by Luis Saurez [8', 80']. Diego Forlan sent a
well placed, rolling cross through the area, that left all the South
Korean defenders waiting for someone other than themselves to
clear the ball away. It went perfectly to Saurez, who one-timed a
pass into the net from a sharp angle. A bright goal indeed.
Into the second half, the Koreans did not disappoint as they continued
to attack and push forward. Some very pretty touches on the ball for
Korea indeed. They almost equalized on a few occasions, but finally
did when Lee Chung Yong [68'] headed in a loose ball from a free kick
that found its way directly to him on the attempted clearance from
Diego Lugano. Each team could have netted another goal in the final
twenty minutes, but neither side could do so. Uruguay goes through
to the final eight, and South Korea returns home after a good tournament.
Uruguay has looked strong through the first matches, but finally
conceded their first goal of the tournament today. The Uruguayans did
not look as formidable as I had anticipated, but still won the match.
The winner of USA and Ghana will play Uruguay, a winnable match
for the USA. Ninety minutes to kickoff. Breathing Deeply.

Uruguay 2 : 1 South Korea
[1:0]

man of the match
Luis Saurez
Uruguay