S. Korea beats Saudi Arabia 2-0 in last tune-up for Asian Cup tourney

South Korea benefited from an own goal to defeat Saudi Arabia 2-0 on Sunday in its final tune-up match ahead of the AFC Asian Cup, a result that masked some underlying problems for the team with the continent's largest football tourney on the horizon.

Saudi Arabian defender Osama Hawsawi deflected a South Korean free kick into his own net in the 67th minute and unheralded forward Lee Jeong-hyeop scored his first international goal in his debut in injury time, as South Korea blanked its long-time nemesis at Pirtek Stadium in Sydney.

The 2015 Asian Cup, with 16 nations divided into four groups, will kick off Friday with a Group A match between the host Australia and Kuwait in Melbourne. South Korea, ranked 69th, is also in Group A and will open its tournament on Saturday against Oman in Canberra.

South Korea will stay in Canberra to face Kuwait on Jan. 13 and close out the group stage against Australia in Brisbane on Jan. 17.

South Korea is trying to lift its first Asian Cup trophy since 1960. Its last appearance in the final was in 1988.

Saudi Arabia, ranked 102nd, is in Group B with Uzbekistan, China and North Korea. South Korea and Saudi Arabia could clash again in the quarterfinals should both countries survive the group stage.

The victory on Sunday improved South Korea's record under head coach Uli Stielike to three wins and two losses. The result also evened South Korea's all-time record against Saudi Arabia with five wins, five losses and seven draws.

The teams ended the first half without a goal, though South Korea came within inches of getting on board in the 16th minute when winger Son Heung-min hit the crossbar.

Positioned just inside the center of the box, Koo Ja-cheol received a cross from the right and teed it up for Son, whose left-footed volley beat goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah but not the bar.

Son had another opportunity in the 22nd minute but his sharp-angle shot from the left went straight at Abdullah.

Saudi Arabia also had some chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Salem Al-Dawsari's curling shot from the top of the box in the ninth minute sailed just over the far corner.

South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon, making his third start in five matches under Stielike, made a spectacular diving save in the 27th on Nawaf Al-Abid's bicycle kick, using all of his 193-centimeter frame to keep the match scoreless.

After a quiet stretch to begin the second half, South Korea threatened again just past the hour mark. Second-half substitute Nam Tae-hee, unmarked near the penalty spot in the midst of a scramble deep in the Saudi box, soared for a header that bounced out of play near the right post.

The opening goal of the match came in an anticlimactic development. Son was fouled deep in the opposing zone on the left side and took the ensuing free kick himself. The floating kick traveled toward the net and went in off the body of Hawsawi, who tried to deflect the ball out of play.

Buoyed by the fortunate turn of events, South Korea dominated the ball for the rest of the match. Son tried to double the advantage in the 89th with a long free kick attempt but Abdullah punched it out of harm's way.

Then Lee, a 23-year-old who'd never played for South Korea in any age group until Sunday, rounded out the scoring in the dying moments of the game, redirecting a Kim Chang-soo cross into a gaping net from point-blank range.

Saudi Arabia had its moments late in the contest, with forward Nasser Al-Shamrani testing substitute goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu in the 83rd, but couldn't ultimately solve the defense.

The undermanned South Korea was missing two mainstays in midfield. Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers joined the national team only two days earlier after playing his league matches and was kept out of the lineup. Swansea City stalwart Ki Sung-yueng arrived in Sydney only hours before Sunday's match, also due to his club commitments, and watched the win from the sidelines.

Defender Cha Du-ri, the elder statesman on the squad at 34, has missed some practice time with knee troubles and didn't play on Sunday. Goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong also sat out practices last week and was relegated to the bench against Saudi Arabia.

(Yonhap)