S.Korea falls to Russia in final football friendly of 2013

South Korea blew an early lead and lost to Russia 2-1 in its last football friendly of the year in Dubai on Tuesday.

At Zabeel Stadium, Dmitri Tarasov headed in the go-ahead goal in the 58th minute as the 19th-ranked Russians came back from a 1-0 deficit against No. 56 South Korea.

South Korea had hoped to end 2013 on a three-game winning streak, following wins over Mali in October and Switzerland last week. The country is trying to schedule two friendly matches in the United States in January to open 2014.

Under head coach Hong Myung-bo, who took over the national team in June, South Korean won three, lost four and drew three others. The team scored 12 goals and gave up 11 goals.

Tarasov broke the 1-1 deadlock with a header off a corner kick.

He soared over a crowd of South Koreans and bounced the ball in front of helpless South Korean netminder Jung Sung-ryong.

Tarasov atoned for an earlier defensive miscue that directly led to South Korea's opening goal. In the fifth minute, striker Kim Shin-wook pounced on the loose ball to put South Korea on board first, after Tarasov failed to clear away a Son Heung-min pass deep in the Russian zone.

Son tried to head a pass to Kim following a corner, but the ball went to Tarasov, who ended up heading it back to the wide open Kim right in front of the gaping Russian net.

Russia erased the deficit in the 11th minute, when forward Fyodor Smolov banged home the loose ball after goalkeeper Jung bobbled a low cross from Roman Shirokov.

On plays leading to the goal, the Russians methodically broke down the South Korean defense with a series of nifty, short passes.

Shirokov got loose on the right wing after a quick give-and-go with Viktor Fayzulin, and sent a sharp cross toward the middle that resulted in the equalizer.

After Russia tied the score, South Korea dictated the match and kept testing Yuri Lodygin, making his international debut in the Russian net.

In the 17th, Kim Shin-wook headed a pass to the charging Lee Keun-ho but Lodygin charged out from the goal to deny the South Korean. In the following minute, Lee was once again stopped by Lodygin from point blank range. Ki Sung-yueng quickly followed with a mid-range strike that the diving Russian custodian deflected out of play.

South Korea regained control to begin the second half, but Tarasov promptly took the wind out of the South Korean sails.

South Korean head coach Hong made four second-half substitutions to kickstart the offense, but fresher legs failed to respond to his call. (Yonhap News)