KWANGJU, South Korea, 22 June — It’s Mission Impossible III for bullish South Korea here today as they lock horns with the matadors of Spain, a prized place in the World Cup semifinals going to the winner.
Co-hosts South Korea have taken full advantage of playing at home with the whole nation becoming Red Devils, the fan club of the national team, and making life hell for the opposition.
The aristocratic Azzuri of Italy were reduced to paupers by Ahn Jung-hwan’s golden goal winner in the second round and in group play World Player of the Year Luis Figo was shown the exit along with fancied Portugal.
It will be the 11 of Spain against the 47 million of South Korea today as an energized nation puts their full support behind Guus Hiddink’s men.
A capacity crowd of 43,000 will erect a wall of sound and turn the World Cup stadium into a mass of red to ‘welcome’ Spanish superstars Raul, if fit, and Luis Enrique.
With the reputations of Figo and Italian golden boy Francesco Totti, sent off in extra time against Korea, already severely dented by the Red Devils there will be no hiding place for Raul, Luis Enrique and Co.
Portugal, who played for the draw which would have secured them a spot in the second round, and Italy, typically unadventurous after going ahead through a Christian Vieri header, were overrun by the all-action style of the athletic Koreans.
Spain, the great underachievers of World Cups past, raised hopes of a long overdue run to the title by banging in nine goals to surge past Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa in group play but they struggled to beat an attack-minded Ireland side in the second round.
Ireland, without shamed captain Roy Keane, took the match into extra time with a late equalizer from the spot by Robbie Keane and Spain only progressed through their superiority in the penalty kick shootout.
Leeds United’s Keane and find of the World Cup, Damien Duff of Blackburn Rovers, caused a myriad of problems for the aging Fernando Hierro at the heart of the Spanish defense and the uninspiring Juanfran at full back.
Hiddink, being hailed here as a tactical genius after plotting the downfall of Portugal and Italy, knows the Spanish game well having been in charge of Real Madrid for a season and is likely to attack down the flanks.
Park Ji-sung, a pacy player with good vision, and the speedy Song Chong-gug will try and pull Spain wide with Ahn, whose winner against Italy has cost him his contract with Serie A side Perugia, and, who will be playing his 101st game for Korea, being given the main striking roles.
Hiddink knows that to continue the Korean dream he has to thwart the potent threat of Raul and is likely to order the impressive Lee Young-pyo, who shackled Figo in the match with Portugal, to shadow the Real Madrid man.
“Some of the other big favorites (France, Argentina, Portugal and Italy) are out and that leaves Spain in with a very good chance (of lifting the World Cup) if they beat us,” said Hiddink.
“They are a good team and they are so experienced. When necessary they can sit back and counterattack. But that can be a dangerous game, especially if they are defending a 1-0 lead, as I can put in more attackers if they put in more defenders.”
Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has warned his teammates that South Korea will not give away any gifts.
“We know it’s an important match for them. They won’t come bearing any gifts and we’ll have to concentrate from the first whistle,” said the Lazio star, who is reportedly on his way back to Spain with Barcelona.
“If you had told us we’d be playing South Korea in the quarters I’d not have believed it but after the first couple of matches we saw how the way they play and their physique meant they could well wind up in the last eight,” said Mendieta.
“Maybe Korea don’t have the same prestige (as us) historically — but prestige counts for nothing once you get out on the pitch.”
World Cup is more than football frenzy for Koreans
Football frenzy will reach a new peak today when South Korea clash with Spain in the World Cup quarterfinals, but the millions on the streets are expressing more than their joy at the country’s new found soccer prowess.
Korea is suddenly cool and, after decades of war followed by economic and social strife, the country’s leaders say the World Cup and the mass pride being shown is like a coming of age for the nation.
South Korea will again come to a noisy standstill for today’s game in the southern city of Kwangju. Police expect millions on the streets.
Tickets are being sold for 10 times their face value on the black market, central Seoul will be closed off to traffic for the match as more than three million red-shirted fans take over, and several hundred thousand people are expected in Kwangju just to be near the stadium.
The crowds have grown as South Korea have won their first match in six appearances at the World Cup and then reached their target of the second round.
There was near hysteria after the team beat Italy on Tuesday with teenagers sat on the back of trucks waving the national flag and shouting well into the night.
Team coach Guus Hiddink, a Dutchman, has become the most popular foreigner in South Korea’s history.
Home fans always get the most support at a World Cup but officials of FIFA, world football’s governing body, say they have seen nothing like the events in Korea and have praised their behavior of the Red Devil supporters and their followers.
No violence has been reported and the one million teenagers and men and women in the early 20s who gathered around the Gwanghwamun district of Seoul on Tuesday night even picked up their own litter. Now there is a national debate on how to explain and maintain the patriotic fervor in a country where baseball has been the main spectator sport in recent years.
Chung Mong-joon, president of the Korean Football Association as well as a vice president of FIFA, had a hard time convincing the government to back the World Cup bid.
