Guest blog: Seamus Walsh, South Korea
Post categories: World Cup 2010,ÌýWorld Cup Have Your Say
| 12:18 UK time, Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Over the course of the World Cup, World Cup Have Your Say is running a series of guest blogs by bloggers from across the world. This is the fifth, by Seamus Walsh who blogs about South Korean football at the .
South Korea's final group match against Nigeria may not have kicked off until 3:30am Korean time, but interest in the match could not have been higher all across the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.
Unfortunately for those who had to get up early for work the timing was not the best, but for students who have recently begun their summer holidays it was a party through the night in the open spaces, bars and streets of Seoul.
The match did not disappoint. It was fascinating throughout, with no teams from Group B definitely through to the next round or definitely out of the competition before kickoff.
Nigeria were first to strike after some terrible defending from Cha Du-ri, who has spent the majority of his career as a striker but has now be converted to right back.
But, as is their way, the Koreans did not give in and nicked an equaliser before half time, demonstrating the spirit that earns them the unlimited support of the whole nation - and every Korean community around the world.
Another goal apiece in the open and action-filled second half left the scoreline at 2-2 at the final whistle, with the Koreans earning their place in the Round of 16 and Nigeria becoming the latest African side to go out.
The South Korean press is full of praise for the attitude of the Korean players to hold on despite giving away a poor early goal and a penalty goal in the second half, with the website of the country's largest newspaper claiming they "kept going right to the end to secure the draw."
Journalists have also praised the Korean players' desire to attack the Nigerian defence when the game opened up in the second half, despite having apparently already done enough to secure the result they needed.
This was only the second time South Korea has advanced beyond the first stage of the World Cup - the first time of course being their terrific run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup which they co-hosted.
This should be considered a great success.
South Korea will now go on to face an impressive Uruguay side.
A win in that match should be considered a bonus, but it was qualification from the group round that was the primary target of coach Huh Jung-moo and his team, as well as the majority of South Korean people.
This World Cup is the last chance for the few remaining players from the 2002 side to play on the biggest stage, while there is also a strong group of talented but young and inexperienced players starting to emerge.
In essence, then, this World Cup squad represents something of a transition period for the national side, a factor which makes this success even more impressive and, indeed, important.
The South Korean side needed to better itself in this World Cup in order to forge the platform for greater future success that the young emerging generation can now surely achieve in the years to come.
South Korea are perennial qualifiers for the World Cup, and so the next stage in their international progression is to become a team that regularly makes it into the second round.
With the likes of Ki Sung-yeung (21), Lee Chung-yong (21) and Park Chu-young (24) - who have been excellent in this tournament - the future looks bright for South Korean football.
Regardless of the result against Uruguay, the celebrations of the fans in Seoul show that this campaign has most definitely been a success, and that is how it will be interpreted back in Korea.
