Korea set for Australia clash

BRISBANE, Australia (Yonhap) ― With a quarterfinals berth already in the bag, South Korea will seek to clinch the top seed in Group A at the ongoing AFC Asian Cup with the final group match against host Australia on Saturday.

The kickoff between the 69th-ranked South Korea and the 100th-ranked Australia will be at 8 p.m. Saturday at Brisbane Stadium, or 6 p.m. in Seoul. South Korea is seeking its first Asian Cup since 1960, while Australia is trying to win its first ever AFC title.

Both teams have won their first two group matches to book spots in the quarters. 

They will battle for the first seed in Group A, which will set up a match against the Group B runner-up in the quarterfinals. The Group A runner-up will face the Group B winner in the quarters.

In Group B, China has clinched the first place with two victories, and Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan will fight for the second place on Sunday in Melbourne.

North Korea, the fourth Group B nation, has been eliminated with two consecutive losses.

Australia has a major advantage in goal difference and only needs a tie to win the group. South Korea must beat Australia to finish first.

Coached by Uli Stielike, South Korea defeated Oman and Kuwait by the identical scores of 1-0. Yet the team was so shaky in the narrow win over Kuwait on Tuesday that Stielike admitted his side was “lucky” to get the victory.

Australia, on the other hand, leads all 16 nations with eight goals scored. The Socceroos defeated Kuwait 4-1, storming back after giving up the first goal, and then blanked Oman 4-0.

And those eight goals were scored by eight different players, an impressive show of depth for the team coached by Ange Postecoglou.

Stielike is hoping he won’t be as shorthanded against Australia as he was versus Kuwait. Of the 23 players on his roster, 18 players made it to Canberra Stadium for the match, and Stielike later said only 14 were healthy enough to actually play the match.

Midfielder Lee Chung-yong has been ruled out of the tournament with a leg fracture and he returned to South Korea on Wednesday.

Others who came down with injuries or illnesses have recovered and should be ready on Saturday.

Three key players who started against Oman ― midfielders Son Heung-min and Koo Ja-cheol and goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon ― missed the Kuwait match with a cold. Team officials said they’re back to full strength.

Right fullback Kim Chang-soo started against Oman but suffered a right thigh injury 18 minutes into that match. He was replaced by Cha Du-ri and missed the Kuwait match.

Cha got the starting nod against Kuwait and assisted on Nam Tae-hee’s eventual winner in the first half. He may be in the starting lineup again versus Australia, but Kim, now healthy, will also be available.

Lee Chung-yong’s absence will leave a huge hole on the South Korean offense, on Saturday and into the knockout stage. He’s been one of the country’s most creative offensive players, manning the right wing with an outstanding vision and passing skills.

Nam Tae-hee is a strong candidate to occupy Lee’s spot the rest of the way. He started on the right wing against Kuwait and scored the lone goal of the match. He was easily the team’s best attacker in a contest marred by shoddy defensive coverage and poor ball handling on offense.

Stielike has kept tinkering with his defense and has yet to use the same defensive pairings for two straight games since taking over the reins in October.

Against Kuwait, the center backs Jang Hyun-soo and Kim Young-gwon had a miserable game. And the coach may yet again send out a different combination on Saturday, with Australia expected to give the South Koreans all they can handle.

On offense, Koo Ja-cheol was named the Player of the Match against Oman with a spirited performance, which silenced critics who had qualms about his recent form.

After sitting out against Kuwait, Koo, former captain, should be back as the attacking midfielder. Son Heung-min is also an essential part of Stielike’s offense on left wing. Though he was mostly contained against Oman, Son still kept the opposing defense honest and created room for his teammates.

The goalkeeping job still appears to be up for grabs. Kim Jin-hyeon had a fine game against Oman but lost his momentum when he came down with a cold. He’s finally healthy, but in his stead, Kim Seung-gyu had a solid game against Kuwait. He withstood plenty of pressure while getting virtually no help from his defense.